The British International Research Institutes is a community of research partners in the arts, humanities, and social sciences who see their mission as promoting science, cultural education, the acquisition of new knowledge, the preservation of outstanding cultural heritage, and the support of international cooperation.
In the late 1880s, when this organization was founded, it consisted of eight institutes: the British Institute in Ankara, the British Institute in East Africa, the British Institute for Persian Studies, the British Institute for the Study of Iraq, the British School in Athens, the British School in Rome, the Council for British Studies in the Levant and the Society for Libyan Studies.
Together, these institutes have been studying culture and sharing experiences for 700 years; 40 countries have studied various humanitarian issues. Between 2019 and 2020, more than 20,000 people have carried out various scientific studies and co-workings with their help.
This year, the organization decided to strengthen the connection through a common identity and develop a brand identity for the UK’s international institutions.
Agency Only was in charge of developing the visual identity. A unifying image was created, a star lined with eight dots, symbolizing the institutes. The star symbolizes light, enlightenment, the path found, the road to knowledge. The star symbolizes that there is something immutable, bright and unstoppable. It is curiosity, clarity of mind, illumination.
The logo looks like a star in a gap encircled by black outlined quarters of a circle. Next to it is a black inscription in uppercase letters BIRI.
It looks very elegant, beautiful, and at the same time unconventional. Reliability, prestige, a tribute to past successes, historicism, and reflection of the light of knowledge – this is what the new logo means.
The font, by the way, looks like an ordinary font: serifs, no catchy accents. There is no symbolism, which could be used as another tool to connect with the brand’s mission.
But that would be an unnecessary detail that would spoil the overall impression of the logo.
From Persian green to Levantine blue, the color scheme helps balance the institutions’ organization’s identity.
It was a great idea to connect the institutes with a common brand with an identity that is easy to perceive and remember and carries meaning. After all, the pen, column, map, and globe symbols have long been beaten up. A new star has lit up – the BIRI brand is becoming an even stronger foundation for international cooperation and partnership. Thanks to the new image, the organization will be able to effectively implement its developments, speak at scientific symposiums, and proudly represent several major institutions involved in the popularization of science and culture.
