THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF NURSING SCOTLAND.

Part of the largest professional union of nursing in the world, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland has a membership of around 40,000 registered nurses, healthcare support workers and nursing students. They are dedicated to campaigning on issues that concern nurses and patients, promoting excellence in nursing practice and influencing health policies.

The Brief

We were commissioned to develop an advertising campaign and associated materials for RCN Scotland ahead of the Scottish Parliament election in May 2021. The target audience was RCN members, MSPs, politicians and the general public.

The main creative outcomes were series of videos and printed collateral including a brochure outlining the manifesto, infographics, posters and leaflets, which were also output for digital distribution. The scope of the project spanned artwork for promotional items and digital assets including social media graphics, imagery and graphic elements for the campaign microsite, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint templates and an email signature.

The Creative Outcome

Following an initial scoping workshop, we explored concepts for the all-important headline, strapline and hashtag. At this stage we engaged in message testing, using a comprehensive Typeform survey to ensure the campaign message engaged and resonated with RCN Scotland’s members. Direct and emotive, the chosen concept highlights the pivotal role of nursing and the impact failure to address the challenges faced by the profession could have on the wider public.

Through a process of mind mapping and sketching we developed a series of concepts for the campaign key visual. Our client opted for a fresh and contemporary typographic route. The minimal composition utilises bold, three-dimensional typography to emphasise the powerful messaging, ensuring it stands out and captures the attention of RCN Scotland’s target audience.

Dynamic and engaging, the election manifesto centres around four themes showcasing RCN Scotland’s priorities. The clean layout and modern, highly legible typography ensure literature meets accessibility guidelines, whilst bullet points break down large volumes of text and guide readers through the information. The use of typographic hierarchy, vibrant colour palette and three-dimensional graphic elements highlight important information and add depth to the design. A colour overlay technique was applied to all photography to ensure a consistent look and feel. The distinctive style we developed was rolled out across all materials, building brand awareness.

We kickstarted the creation of the campaign videos by crafting a succinct and engaging script. Structure and language were carefully considered to ensure the messaging was communicated in the most compelling way possible. Divided into four clear sections, the script introduces each key theme with an emotive statistic, before outlining the actions necessary to protect the future of nursing.

An impactful combination of motion graphics and live video footage brings the script to life. Whilst the playful and entertaining motion graphics engage viewers, kinetic typography conveys the information in an easily digestible and accessible way. We sourced complementary music and a voice-over artist with a friendly and informative tone of voice, injecting personality into the video. A series of four short videos were created for social media surrounding each of the key themes, increasing RCN Scotland’s reach.