The Wombles, created by Elisabeth Beresford in 1968, have been brought up-to-date by a top design firm, How&How. They are famous for building environmentally-responsible brands. Their aim was to rejuvenate the Wombles brand with a modern, sustainable design vision.
Originally, the Wombles were celebrated for promoting recycling and reusing waste before it became mainstream. They became even more famous in the 1970s with a popular television series of stop-motion animations. Over the years, they have adapted to different formats and technologies to keep broadcasting their essential message to the world.
The refresh was a challenge for How&How because they needed to keep the Wombles’ classic appeal, while integrating current features. Throughout the creative process, the Wombles’ team provided unrestricted access to their historical archives.
Bringing Wombles into modern sustainability
This was particularly useful for How&How, as it allowed them to design the new concept with authenticity.
One key aspect of the project was to tweak the logo while respecting its original “chunky slab” design. The final logo used the Nordvest font from Monokrom foundry and subtly altered stroke widths to reflect the Wombles’ personality. Earthy colors were chosen to highlight the Wombles’ environmental interests, aiming to strike balance between their timeless charm and modern appeal.
In partnership with illustrator Remi Sorbet, the agency designed unique Wombles icons in three different sizes. These new designs, including color schemes and textures, bring out fond memories of the original content. Custom typography was drawn up to reflect the Wombles’ quirky charm for use in branded content.
The project brilliantly captured the nostalgia of The Wombles while connecting it to modern environmental issues. In the words of Cat How, the founder and creative director of How&How, the effort to blend traditional storytelling with cutting-edge, eco-friendly themes beautifully enhanced the agency’s credibility and re-ignited their passion for purposeful creativity.
