44 Team 2023

Our designer, Jess, comes face-to-face with a life-sized version of her charity logo…

There haven’t been too many sweeter moments in the career of our fabulous senior designer and artist Jess Grove.

She got to actually meet up with one of her most special creations – the big cuddly bear she’d lovingly designed for baby hospice Zoe’s Place.

The pair met at one of the charity’s hospices in Coventry, Jess seeing the larger-than-life-sized version who’s now a big part of the Zoe’s Place fundraising team.

Zoe’s Place cares for babies and young children with life-limiting, life-threatening or complex conditions. We were asked by Zoe’s Place if we could give their brand a refresh, and as part of that they wanted to update their logo – a cute yellow bear.

Jess explained: “When you visit the hospice, you really can feel the joy, so we wanted to create a logo which captured that warmth and happiness. Something that retained the fun, and a sense of play – but also brought professionalism. I think we achieved that – and the team at Zoe’s Place thought so too.”

The charity was so happy with what we created that they pasted a huge version of the new logo on the side of a double-decker bus. And they commissioned a giant-sized bear costume which they could use at fundraising events and for marketing.

Jess added: “Seeing what I’d created in 3D really was a moment to remember. It made all the hard work worth it!”

The Zoe’s Place story is quite something. The charity has nurse-led teams across sites in Coventry, Liverpool and Middlesbrough, who provide remarkable care to children and their families, helping them to live life to its fullest.

Zoe’s Place Head of Marketing and Communications, Summa Gill, said: “Everyone loves the new bear – though it came as a bit of a shock to one of our supporters who’d had the old bear tattooed on him.

“It really was a great collaboration with Jess and the 44 team. They helped us create a brand that works on multiple levels, and stands out from the crowd. It’s been a huge help to our fundraising team.

“And I’m so glad our bear has been able to meet its creator!”