A heartfelt identity for an extraordinary annual event
Client
Chain Of Hope
Country
United Kingdom
Disciplines
Brand Identity
Sector
Not-for-Profit
The Chain of Hope Gala Ball is the charity’s flagship annual fundraising event, bringing together between 500 and 600 guests from around the world to support life-saving cardiac care for children in developing and war-torn countries. Over the years, it has become a prominent fixture in London’s charity calendar, welcoming international supporters, medical professionals, public figures and major donors.
The brief
Chain of Hope asked BakerWilcox to create a distinctive identity for its annual Gala Ball. The commission included a central campaign mark and supporting visual language that could be applied consistently across invitations, event communications, fundraising materials, signage and the wider guest experience.
The execution
The identity was built around a heart formed from individual fingerprints, bringing together two powerful ideas in one simple mark. The heart connects directly with Chain of Hope’s life-saving cardiac work, while the fingerprints represent the individual contribution each guest, donor and supporter can make.
No two fingerprints are the same, giving the identity a deeply personal quality. Together they form one complete heart, reflecting the collective effort behind the event and the wider chain of surgeons, medical teams, volunteers and supporters who make the charity’s work possible.
The accompanying strapline, “It’s in your hands,” turns the visual idea into a direct call to action. It reminds guests that the outcome of the evening is not abstract or distant: their participation, generosity and support can directly help provide children with urgently needed heart treatment.
The bold red and black palette gives the identity clarity and emotional force, while the organic fingerprint texture prevents it from feeling overly polished or corporate. This balance allowed the mark to work across formal gala communications while retaining the humanity and urgency at the centre of the charity’s mission.
Designed as an enduring identity rather than a theme for one particular year, the system could be refreshed annually through imagery, format and supporting content while retaining the same recognisable heart and message. The result gave the Gala Ball a consistent visual signature capable of building familiarity and meaning over time.
The strongest fundraising identities make the audience feel personally connected to the outcome. By forming the heart from individual fingerprints, we could express the idea that every person in the room had a part to play. ‘It’s in your hands’ completed that thought, turning the identity into both a message of hope and a direct invitation to act.
KELLY WILCOX
