The magazine is distributed to the charity’s donators and supporters and a digital edition is available to read on the Born Free website. It features stories about the work the charity does in ensuring animals are treated with compassion and respect, and gives updates on its activism campaigns, as well as the animals it has rescued.
PMW said that its goal was to establish a publication that is completely different to the usual magazines distributed by charities and non-profit organisations by giving it the feel of a lifestyle publication.
Jamie Forsyth, Creative Director at PMW, commented: “We’ve been working with Born Free since 2016 and have given the charity a complete rebrand, from its logo through to its website. Its ‘Wild Life’ magazine is one of the last pieces of marketing collateral to receive the rebrand treatment and we’ve taken the publication away from a template by giving every page a bespoke design.”
Jamie continued: “We started with the front cover and wanted it to be image led and extremely powerful, so that it can be used as a standalone poster, which is something that will continue for every issue. The lead story of the summer 2020 magazine focuses on three lionesses and one lion and the work Born Free is doing to relocate them to a its big cat sanctuary in South Africa. The animals had spent their lives in a French travelling circus, but were recently surrendered to an animal welfare centre, and on the front page we placed them at the opening of a traditional circus tent emerging from the darkness.”
The PMW design team also weren’t afraid to reduce the amount of content on a page. Jamie explained: “One thing all lifestyle and quality magazines have in common is the use of white space. In previous issues, the magazine was copy heavy and, with so much happening on the page, the reader would struggle to process all the relevant information. Reducing the noise and clutter allows the articles and content to stand out, and although there may not be as much text, the reader will probably gain more from the article.
“Throughout the magazine we’ve added pull quotes featuring facts and figures which, even if the reader doesn’t read the whole article, they will get a sense of the charity’s mission.”
Matt Smithers, Head of Marketing & Fundraising at Born Free, added: “We’re thrilled with the look of the magazine. Wild Life is our flagship publication and it’s an important tool for us to highlight to supporters the impact their contribution has had. It’s also very powerful for educating audiences on the work of the charity, as well as our aims and our mission. The new design allows us to deliver these objectives. Every page now stands out and we’ve received fantastic feedback from those who are enjoying the publication.”
