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When Explorer Scouts (the Scouts programme for 14–18 year olds) launched in 2002, most families shared a single computer (if they had one at all) and social media didn’t exist. But the world has changed dramatically – and young people in particular have felt the effects. New research suggests many young people feel less prepared for adult life, with teachers raising concerns about confidence, communication and readiness for work.
Explorers needed to adapt to stay relevant in this rapidly changing world and offer 14–18 year olds an authentic, welcoming space where anyone can belong.
A comprehensive programme refresh – co-designed with young people – reflects how teenagers live now, blending practical skills with creativity, leadership and adventure. But for a generation of brand-savvy, digital natives, the existing millennial-coded Explorers brand felt like it was designed for a different age.
Red Stone were appointed by Scouts to lead the repositioning and identity creation for a more relevant, more inclusive and more authentic Explorers brand.
Engagement
- Engaged and managed input from stakeholders throughout project
Discovery
- Review of audience insight/segmentation
- Attended immersion session
- Explorer unit visits
Strategy
- Proposition, personality and brand story
- Refined brand strategy against audience insights
- Tone of voice alignment with brand proposition
Creative
- Refreshed visual identity
- New Explorers logo
- Imagery, photography, typography, and icons
- Illustration for badges
- Activity and Challenger Award badges
- Badge book covers and merchandise
Delivery
- Brand guidelines
- Brand assets and social templates
This isn’t school
To feel relevant to a teenage audience that are highly attuned to brands trying to sell to them, the positioning purposefully shifts away from overpromises or overly slick copy.
The strategy is built on the insight that young people are exhausted by the pressure of expectation in both school and life, leaving little room for curiosity, exploration and personal growth. The new proposition offers a bluntly different alternative, intentionally positioning Explorers as a place where the journey matters as much as the destination.
Paired with an equally straight-talking personality ‘Real curious’ – the brand frames Explorers as a place where anyone can belong, but nobody has to fit the mould.
Making room for the real and the curious
The brand personality is brought to life across a bold visual identity that puts young people front and centre. The new iconic marque inspired by the compass is all about the journey – giving the brand a strong visual shorthand that puts a fresh spin on a universal symbol of discovery.
A series of bold supergraphics built out from the marque, subtly reference the iconic Explorer necker and give the visual identity a punch and stand-out that challenges expectations of what Scouts is all about.
Photography and tone of voice dial up the relevance and authenticity. Avoiding anything that feels too staged, the brand captures the spirit of being part of an Explorers unit – the friendship, the energy, the realness, the randomness.
Bringing things to life
As much as consistency matters for a brand looking to beef up its awareness, leaving room for individuality was just as important.
The brand is designed with every unit and every Explorer in mind. A simple logo system and comms templating gives each unit the tools to put together personalised materials that grab attention and feel like them.
And when it comes to merch, that sense of individuality continues, with a series of ‘logo expressions’ that break the brand out of a rigid, one size fits all approach.
Alongside the brand launch, Red Stone illustrated 40 badges that embody the shift to a more relevant Explorers programme. Designed to be bold, iconic and accessible, the badges add a distinctive pop of colour to every uniform.
Upping the energy, upping the impact
The new brand brings the energy of the revitalised Explorers programme to life, as it gears up to relaunch and reach more young people than ever across the UK, giving everyone a place to belong.
“Red Stone have helped set a new direction for Explorers Scouts to meet the needs of Generation Alpha, balancing real world skills and adventure with a powerful sense of belonging. The brand feels fresh, equally at home on screen and in print. It’s inspired by the outdoors, shaped by young people and truly captures the fun, friendship and freedom, pointing to brighter futures.”
