UNESCO – Build a public brand around ocean science and citizen engagement
In his previous role as Communications Officer (Ocean) for UNESCO, Vinicius was tasked with developing a comprehensive rebranding strategy to position UNESCO as a leading ocean organization. The challenge was to highlight UNESCO’s extensive work in ocean science, education, and culture without diminishing its other areas of expertise. The rebranding needed to create a cohesive narrative that would resonate with diverse stakeholders, from policymakers to the general public, while emphasizing UNESCO’s unique role in fostering international cooperation for ocean sustainability.
The resulting « UNESCO Ocean » sub-brand is a strategic reimagining of UNESCO’s identity that places its ocean-related work at the forefront. This new brand architecture integrates UNESCO’s various ocean initiatives, including the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), World Heritage marine sites, and ocean education programs, under a unified visual and narrative framework. The UNESCO Ocean brand features award-winning ocean photography from award-winning partners such as Alexis Rosenfeld (France), Rodrigo Thomé (Brazil) and deep ocean imagery from the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
A key component of the rebranding is the « UNESCO Ocean » rebranding of all UNESCO ocean-related social media platforms, which deploy storytelling to illustrate how UNESCO’s diverse programs contribute to ocean sustainability. Through this cohesive branding approach, UNESCO has successfully elevated its profile as the key UN ocean player, leading to increased public and sponsor recognition, engagement and fundraising.