Big Thought Rebrands With New Message, Logo, Website

By Mario Tarradell, Public Relations & Marketing Manager

In 1987 educational visionaries Edith O’Donnell and Mitch Jericho launch Young Audiences of North Texas, the 32nd chapter of the national Young Audiences network. Fueled by a dream, O’Donnell and Jericho wanted to spark children’s imaginations through a variety of rich arts and cultural experiences in schools.

In 2004 Young Audiences of North Texas became Big Thought to reflect the organization’s expanded scope – programs and services that provide youth with rewarding learning opportunities in and out of school. The renaming underscored Big Thought’s forward thinking efforts to provide always-evolving programs and services aimed at improving educational opportunities for all children.

Fast-forward to 2015, Big Thought embarked on a rebranding journey in May. Its goal is to help parents, educators, potential donors, corporate sponsors and prospective partners better understand the breadth of our commitment to Dallas students.

We needed a new message, strong words that clearly articulate the organization’s aim through programs and services fueled by creative learning. We want to explain the heart of our existence. So we crafted this mantra: Big Thought brings relentless optimism, innovation and imagination to the biggest problem facing education today – The Opportunity Gap.

“Big Thought will always thrive on its deep-rooted dedication to making sure all children have access to meaningful and creative learning experiences,” says Gigi Antoni, President and CEO of Big Thought. “Our new brand clearly communicates the organization’s tireless efforts to connect students to life-changing opportunities.”

The new Big Thought brand details our passionate commitment to students, to family, and to community. We recognize the unleveled playing field, so everything we do is designed to close that opportunity gap. We bring the right opportunities to kids who need them most, whether they are literacy programs such as Library Live! and I Love to Read; spoken word clubs and events such as the DaVerse Poetry Clubs and the accompanying DaVerse Lounge performance shows; Learning Partners in and out-of-school experiences; Thriving Minds Summer Camps; and digital badges in many subject areas via our Dallas City of Learning initiative.

It is paramount that we keep steering our funds into programs that serve our kids, our future. With limited expenses and resources, we knew that we had to collaborate with a partner that would help us accomplish our rebranding goals. We requested the help of the Fossil Foundation and worked for six months with their board and staff.

Big Thought’s collective efforts with Fossil produced a powerful new message, a retooled brand identity and refreshed logo. Our signature imagination cloud logo is now a more modern, sleeker and simpler version of its predecessor. It’s an icon that stands alone.

“Heritage and forward momentum, or energy, were equally defining themes for our new thinking around the logo,” says Laura DeLoach, Web Designer for the Fossil Foundation. “The iconic orange thought bubble is essential—it is the starting place where imagination really ignites—and toying with a more minimal interpretation (end-to-end rather than enclosed) opened for us the possibility that the mark could reach even further in its symbolism for the brand. With a little imagination it can become anything and go anywhere.”

The accompanying new Big Thought Look Book is a visual manifestation of our enthusiasm and commitment to closing the opportunity gap. The Big Thought Look Book, available digitally Dec. 11, vividly summarizes our programs and initiatives – Creative Solutions, Dallas City of Learning, DaVerse, Learning Partners, Library Live!, Thriving Minds – and our services, including program consulting and custom curriculum, public speaking and policy advising.

Big Thought keeps moving forward. Our new, redesigned website also debuts Dec. 11. The new bigthought.org is contemporary, colorful, user-friendly and fun, featuring great photos of real children from our programs. It’s engaging, bringing out the inner child in all of us. It’s the perfect tool to interact with Big Thought donors, volunteers and supporters through real stories that capture the new brand thinking. The new website, like the new brand, delivers Big Thought’s message with relentless optimism, innovation and imagination.

We offer our sincere thanks and eternal gratitude to Stacey Marsh and the Fossil Foundation, as well as our Big Thought Board Members Melora Leiser, Larry H. Whitt and Randee Paur Hefflefinger, for their devoted work during Big Thought’s rebranding journey.