Rarely does a corporate rebranding feature a fuzzy, felt wild animal and a colourful hand-drawn world in the style of a children’s book.

Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust and Alder Hey Children's Charity have adopted a new brand icon in the form of Oli the Oliphant, a blue felt elephant that serves to unite the two entities under one identity. Alder Hey sought an agency to create iconic branding ahead of its move to a new facility in 2015.

USP Creative, a Liverpool-based agency, took on the challenge posed by the hospital and its associated charity. Not only did it create a visual identity for Alder Hey, but also created a sense of community for the children and families at Europe’s busiest children’s hospital.

Jan Peters, MD of USP Creative, says, “Alder Hey has been at the forefront of paediatric care for almost 100 years and is an important part of the city of Liverpool. To be able to create, develop and roll out the brand for such an iconic NHS organisation is a fantastic opportunity. The success of the launch is testament to the strength of the Oli brand and the hardwork and dedication of the USP team. We are extremely proud of what we have created and look forward to seeing Oli become an integral part of Alder Hey.”

In addition to providing a reassuring presence to those using the hospital’s and charity’s services, the branding will be used on hospital communications and rolled out across the Alder Hey brand. The Oli icon will be used in conjunction with a reinvigorated cheerful, craft-style look.

Watch Oli the Oliphant's story below: