Up the river with plenty of paddles
Headspace Berri
Brief
An educational resource aimed at young people, parents and health professionals to help raise awareness about the LGBTQIA+ community in the Riverland in South Australia. The objectives of the campaign are to make sure young people don’t feel isolated, let them know that help is available, and to provide tips to parents and health care professionals on how to be supportive allies.
Research
We looked at other successful campaigns around gender, identity and sexuality for inspiration, and how to present the topic with compassion and understanding. We also considered the broader community in the Riverland. We found that humour was the most engaging and successful approach, but without trivialising the topic.
Solution
Our solution is based around a play on the phrase ‘up the river without a paddle’, which we have changed to ‘plenty of paddles’. This helps to express that people in the Riverland are not alone, there is help available, and connects back to the local surroundings. This is all through a young, fun and playful tone.
We developed a friendly, youthful style full of puns, paddles, colour and happy faces. We created hand-drawn typography and patterns and applied to a printed booklet and website. We also designed a simple logo mark for the Riverland Young Queers and Allies, which takes on the shape of an abstract heart.
We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to work on a project that raises awareness, reduces stigma and promotes acceptance in the community.
