Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital (MWPH) is an integral part of the community. A jointly-owned affiliate of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM), MWPH is dedicated to maximizing the health and independence of the children it serves. Since 1922, MWPH has provided family-focused, integrated care to children with chronic or complex medical needs.

The Storybook Gala is a fundraising tradition six years in the making, having raised nearly $1.6 million in that time. Each year, the event takes on a theme from a beloved children’s storybook—past themes have included Where the Wild Things Are and Alice in Wonderland. Funds raised provide support to ongoing programs and services for children receiving inpatient and outpatient care and to help bridge the gap between insurance and out-of-pocket expenses.

As a widely anticipated, high-profile and well-attended yearly event, the look and feel of the gala impacts both the guest experience and the fundraising outcome. MWPH engaged with Orange Element to create an identity and brand system for this important event that aligned with the theme for the 2020 gala: Mary Poppins.

The logo for the event would need to work well on signage, digital graphics, and printed pieces—but also on swag such as pins and glasses. For this reason, they required a logo that was both beautiful and versatile.

In addition to an identity and brand system, the event also required a slew of promotional materials and tools for the event itself. These pieces ranged from stationary, to sponsor books, to raffle tickets and event signage, to social media graphics and PowerPoint templates—all of the components that would come together to make the event a “magical” success.

Before the design work could begin, we set out to learn everything we needed to know about the hospital, the event, and what makes them special. Our team toured the hospital and conducted discovery meetings with the MWPH team to hear from them about the event and how to maintain its integrity while also bringing new energy to the concept. Then we got to work.

Internally, we held a Mary Poppins viewing party and dug up as much visual inspiration as we could find. Collaborating closely with the gala executive committee to achieve their vision, we proposed and iterated on several identity options—with various sources of inspiration, from the London skyline to Mary Poppins’s iconic umbrella—to arrive at the final mark: a simple, classic silhouette of Mary Poppins that is at once iconic so as to be immediately recognized; versatile enough to hold up across many use cases; and just a little bit whimsical to invoke the childish magic of the story behind the design.

With the concept squared away and a style guide established, we turned our attention to the supporting collateral. Beginning with the sponsorship book and save the date cards, we methodically prepared the needed marketing materials as necessitated by the promotional schedule. (Because of the nature of a fundraising event, it was crucial to supply the gala team with the right tools at the right time so they can accomplish everything from recruiting sponsors to selling tickets.)

It was important to us that every piece of collateral serve its purpose effectively, while also contributing to a cohesive overarching brand look and feel for the event.

As the tagline says, “Anything can happen if you let it!” Thus far, we’ve been thrilled to offer continued support and to build a relationship with the marketing team at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital. As of the writing of this case study, this year’s Storybook Gala has been postponed until November 2020 due to COVID-19. Please stay tuned for more results from our work with MWPH.