Good Friday Agreement 25th Anniversary

Department of Foreign Affairs

 

Defining a visual identity for a historic moment

In April 2023, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) commemorated 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. The document, signed on 10th April 1998, was the culmination of work throughout the 1990s by the Government of Ireland, the British Government and the international community to build a peaceful future for Northern Ireland and the entire island of Ireland.

bigO worked with the DFA to create video, digital and print content for these commemorations, tied together by a visual identity developed specifically for the occasion.

 

Context

The identity for Good Friday Agreement 25 was informed by workshops undertaken by bigO with the DFA to articulate the values embodied in the Good Friday Agreement and how they would be reflected in the DFA’s campaign outputs.

These values were articulated as: 

balanced; diverse/inclusive; honest; hopeful; respectful; reflective; accessible; nuanced; non-binary (identity); about community and lived experience; duty of hope; diversity of voices; shared stories.

Additionally, given the sensitive nature of the materials, we discussed using the importance of abstraction and the avoidance of using obvious symbols or colours that directly relate to either of the major communities in Northern Ireland.

The brand mark we developed is inspired by the three strands within the Good Friday Agreement:

Internal Institutions — established within Northern Ireland

North-South — agreements between Northern Ireland and Ireland

East-West — agreements between Ireland and the United Kingdom

The three strands are represented by three lines, which form the abstracted image of a turning page. This represents both the document itself and the commitments from both sides that make it so important to a lasting peace on the island, and also the sense of forward momentum—a turning of the page.

Alongside the brand mark, a colour scheme and typographical choices were made with respect to the DFA’s own visual identity and the specific sensitivities of the Good Friday Agreement.

bigO_GoodFridayAgrement-001
play-button.svg

The brand mark is inspired by the three strands within the Good Friday Agreement: Internal Institutions, North-South and East-West.

 

The three strands are represented by three lines, which form the abstracted image of a turning page.

“In a spirit of concord, we strongly commend this agreement to the people, North and South, for their approval.”

Sector

Design | Branding | Visual Identity

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