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Case Study

STANDING OUT IN A CROWD

Center for Middle Eastern Studies/Harvard University Rebrand
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) was founded in 1954 to foster knowledge of Middle Eastern and Islamic societies and cultures. There are almost 50 centers, institutes, and societies at Harvard, along with multiple schools and clubs, all needing to connect with their audiences through their websites and printed collateral. In order for CMES to increase awareness and engagement, they needed to stand out.

We completed an audit of the existing materials CMES had been producing, including their website, brochures, posters, and stationery system. Through this review, we gained an understanding of how CMES was perceived by external and internal audiences, and we developed a creative strategy to guide our work.

Capabilities

Art Direction
Content Strategy
Identity & Branding
Publication Design

Recognition

AAF/Albany Ad Club Award

A New Identity

Most people referred to the Center for Middle Eastern Studies as CMES, yet there was no formal identity developed for this naming. We created a logo for CMES, making recommendations to use the center’s shield on formal communications.

A Suite of Communications

As part of the organization’s new identity, we developed color, image, and graphic palettes. The graphic pattern was inspired by Hebrew, Arabic, and Turkish script and art. The new identity was applied to various print pieces, including the newsletter, brochures, and posters.

A Unique (Templated) Website

Along with the print material, we also redesigned the CMES website. Working with CMES and Harvard Web Publishing, we created a website using Open Scholar (the Harvard Web Publishing platform), which felt unique and met the goal of standing out in the crowd.

“Working with Kelly McMurray and her team at 2communiqué on our rebranding effort was a fantastic experience. We love, love, love the identity they developed for CMES, which captures the spirit and strength of the center better than we could have hoped. From our website to our printed newsletter, each piece they work on is just gorgeous!”

—Johanna Bodnyk, web editor & communication coordinator Center for Middle Eastern Studies,
Harvard University

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