EIT Food Entrepreneurship needed a fresh and distinct visual identity for its annual recruitment campaign – one that could unify their three programmes without functioning as a new, standalone logo.

The design had to connect with innovation-driven entrepreneurs while aligning with the wider EIT Food brand. It also needed to work across multiple digital and offline channels and support flexible use by internal teams, partners, and collaborators.

The brief called for a system that brought cohesion without compromise: a recognisable visual thread that could tie the campaign together, while allowing space for programme-specific expression.

EIT Food Entrepreneurship Recruitment call encompasses 3 programmes - EIT Food Seedbed Incubator, EIT Food Accelerator Network and RisingFoodStars. There was a clear need to create one campaign symbol to encompass all three, and individual symbols for each programme that worked both as part of the overarching visual identity and on their own. Alongside this, we had to develop a new colour palette that balanced the existing EIT Food colours, and accurately represented the recruitment programmes, whilst working in harmony across the campaign and balanced programme leads’ insights with wider brand guidelines.

We also identified a gap in documentation: no clear visual guidelines had previously been created, leading to inconsistency in asset usage across channels and an overall outdated visual identity that didn’t target the innovative startup audience effectively. Creating a central brand book would be key to long-term campaign consistency, internal alignment and maintaining a visual identity in line with industry standards.

Our design team refined and extended the existing visual language to create a unified system. Each programme was given a distinct colour and symbol, drawn from and adapted to the EIT Food brand palette. These were then integrated into a single campaign-wide visual,  anchored by a fluid, wave-like element that connected all three.

This flexible structure allowed each programme to retain its individuality while visually showing its place within a larger whole. Alongside the symbol design, we created a full visual identity toolkit, including layout rules, typography styles, visual hierarchies, and best-practice guidance to support cross-channel consistency and ensure that all internal teams could easily utilise the visual identity. 

Alongside the symbol system, we introduced a new approach to imagery - human, dynamic, and purposeful. Instead of relying on generic stock photography, we shifted toward visuals that enhanced storytelling and supported the tone of voice and copy in every context.

The campaign’s visual anchor - a wave-shaped element connecting the three programme symbols - brought everything together. It provided a clear line across all campaign materials, while still allowing each programme to maintain its own identity and character. The result was a refreshed visual identity that felt modern, recognisable, and true to EIT Food.

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