The Client
The MAZI Project is a youth-led Bristol-based charity empowering disadvantaged 16-25 year olds through food access to nutritious meals and culinary education/ to use food as a tool for social mobility, advocacy, and a cure to public health crisis. They support care leavers, young asylum seekers, youth recovering from homelessness and fleeing domestic violence.
The Challenge
The MAZI Project has made significant strides in tackling food insecurity among Bristol’s youth. However, like many mission-driven organisations, it faced the challenge of standing out in a crowded charitable landscape - ensuring its message reached both those in need and those eager to support its cause. To create a lasting impact, The MAZI Project turned to ORCA for strategic brand and creative support, aiming to refine and amplify its brand identity and social narrative. Through this collaboration, The MAZI Project looked to build a stronger, more recognisable brand that clearly communicates its vision and impact.
The Process
The Mazi Project takes its name from the Greek word mazi (μαζί), meaning ‘together’. This was a solid foundation for the brand and where most of our creative exploration stemmed from. With this brand essence, we were able to craft an identity that not only represents community but also shared the message that good food has the power to positively affect an individual's well-being. The Mazi Project’s founder and overall brand approach to helping others were central to our design process, ensuring the new identity truly reflects their spirit and values.
The Solution
The logotype was created by working closely with the Mazi team to ensure the form of the characters communicated inclusivity. We achieved this by combining uppercase and lowercase letters and crafting a custom ‘a’ that adds personality and energy to the brand. This choice also subtly nods to the pronunciation of mazi (MAH-zee) in Greek.
The brand colour palette draws inspiration from the fresh, high-quality ingredients used in The Mazi Project’s meal kits. With the new primary colour palette providing plenty of warmth from the ‘kale’ green and the ‘vanilla’ cream, it was the perfect vehicle for a brighter, more energetic secondary palette.
To reflect The Mazi Project’s rebellious spirit, we developed illustrations using the traditional linocut printing technique. By providing a suite of ingredient-based illustrations and several ‘sharing food’ compositions to the team, we were able to arm them with the tools they needed to apply the brand across all brand touchpoints.
Most importantly, the brand needed to support the continued success of The Mazi Project’s work within the community. This was an incredible collaboration with the whole team, and we look forward to helping them grow as they continue to support disadvantaged 16–25-year-olds through food.
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