The new PFI logo is a flexible accordion fold that unfurls the newly articulated vision of the organisation – ‘Stepping up for people’.

The building blocks of society

In its 50th year, the Population Foundation of India took the opportunity to re-envisage the brand to clearly focus on people and their development. Our rebranding took on the tricky challenge of interpreting the multi-pronged nature of PFI’s activities, negotiating at many levels of governance, community and partnership to reach every individual. We had to make a magnetic impact to show how the organisation puts people and human interests first and family planning is only a pathway to this greater end objective.

The Population Foundation of India is emphatic - we put people before numbers. With family planning as a core direction, they have rigorously worked to bring change by educating girls, empowering women and giving the female quotient a voice. PFI is unique as a leading organisation that bridges Government and NGOs by helping to create policies and programs that can bring social and behavioural change. With an aim to make better lives for people, PFI is based on empathetic founding principles and social methods of working. We envisaged PFI as the ‘building blocks’ of society.

Stepping up to the task

As branding experts we approach every project in its entirety, understanding the client’s vision, the environment in which they work and their various stakeholders. Right from the beginning, our approach was strategic in envisioning PFI as a transformative brand - an agent of change and a catalyst. The modern classical style and strong institutional look of the new branding reflect on PFI’s reputation and standing as a body of influence. 

To understand PFI, we need to understand the history of family planning in India. While Gandhi advocated self-control as a path to family planning, in the south, social activist and Father of the Dravidian movement Thanthai Periyar’s rational voice for modern times connected family planning to a much bigger picture – the advancement and growth of society, women’s liberation, rights and emancipation, and further equal rights at all levels and equal opportunities for all. This was the 1930s. We were the first developing country in 1951 to start a state-sponsored family planning program. When PFI started in the 1970s, a similar understanding of this greater need for India’s people was embedded in its vision by JRD Tata as “advancing the cause of human welfare through family planning.” This far-reaching mission of a just and equitable society and giving people reproductive rights had to come through in the new branding. Also, the symbol should reflect on the nature of PFI itself, an umbrella organisation that stretches and copes with advocacy, program and policy on the one side, and on the other, works closely with people and communities on the ground.

A democratic symbol

From this idea of stepping stones and building blocks, the PFI logo was envisioned as ‘stepping up for people’.

SYMBOL VERSIONS
The name Population Foundation of India is placed between F and the I when the symbol is used to talk about activities concerning partnerships and policies.

The name is placed between the P and the F when PFI wants to emphasise the organisation’s work with people.

An abridged PFI version was also developed. In graphic translations, the tagline ‘People Matter’ accompanies the step up, which can be adapted to environments, both real and virtual. The thrust of the branding is on the flexible nature and wide capacity of the organisation to occupy various posts and positions to carry out its job. The yellow and black was consciously chosen to draw immediate attention to the organisation's action-oriented behaviour. The prominent and bold colours reflected on the ‘we speak up for what’s right’ nature of PFI. The Identity system and stance clearly distinguishes the organisation from many others in the arena.

From a triangle filled with people icons, PFI now has an animated banner that opens up to talk about the real story – the story of the people of India. It’s after all, their choice.

About PFI

Population Foundation of India is a pioneering NGO whose approach to family planning and on-the-ground programs look at India’s population as ‘people’ and family planning as ‘bettering lives’. An organisation with a bold and radical approach, PFI approaches taboo topics such as pre-marital sex or using condoms with blunt on-the-face programming such as Sex ki Adalat and Mai Kuch bhi kar sakti hoon-I, a woman, can do anything, which draw a popular following. In all, this is an organisation that juggles hats with ease, a leading voice amongst the crew of NGOs, changing ground realities for India’s people.

For more please see PFI case study

Written by Sujatha Shankar Kumar
Image Artwork: Ajay Sharma