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Why I
Wake

The Challenge

How do you bring your brand into the 21st century while also celebrating your heritage?

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Our Solution

Find power in your purpose that connects the past to the future.

You take the thing that drives you, that single motivating factor, the foundation of all the blood, sweat, and tears that you’ve devoted to your purpose and forge it into a timeless badge of honour, a daily reminder: Why I Wake.
We created a bold brand strategy, meaningful design, a timeless logo, influential film, and authentic photography to remind them daily to ask themselves: Why I Wake?

Deliverables

Brand strategy
Campaign Naming
Brand design
Logo
Font
Colour
Video
Web

Video

“This is not only something that I do — it’s who I am.”
– Leonard Shore

The SDJ team is a lifeline for those who feel lost. A guardian angel for those who need it most. Their message was so powerful and inspiring that we created an anthem film for each member. Old and young, they were able to speak to their own personal passion and purpose. A film about process. A film about equality. A film about pedigree. A film about consistency in identity. We told their stories of Why I Wake.

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Brand Strategy

We had to reveal their true mission of being an intimate protector for their clients in their hour of need.

Shore Davis Johnston is a criminal defence firm with a 50-year legacy of precedent-setting cases and fighting for the underdog with incredible integrity and conviction. The thing that connects SDJ’s past to its future is fighting for the underdog. A reminder of why they devote endless hours of their life to helping those society has forgotten. This idea became the backbone of SDJ’s brand strategy. It became Why I Wake.

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Brand Design

Warriors in the battle against injustice.

Leonard Shore founded SDJ over a half century ago on a foundation of providing light for those lost in hopelessness. We captured the artistry of their inspiring work and merged it with that heritage. Each team member’s soul shines through, living under the banner of their timeless and time-tested legacy.

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Fonts

We needed to merge their heritage with their future, while remaining in the present. The serif font represents the firm’s legacy of tirelessly fighting for the underdog. The sans serif represents the firm’s vision of a future with justice for all. The combination keeps them relevant, while remaining true to their legacy of prestige.

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Colour

The colours needed to reflect their strength and commitment to being warriors against injustice. Navy blue represents the trust SDJ’s authenticity continues to inspire — the bedrock of their protective relationship with clients. Gold represents excellence in everything they’ve done and will do — a commitment to justice, even in the face of overwhelming odds. White represents balance, and their legal process that considers everything and everyone — no one is forgotten.

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Photography

Fighting injustice wherever it might be.

SDJ doesn’t only practice law – they help people, wherever they might be. They’ve always been a law firm for the underdog, so we took gritty photos of the SDJ team in an alleyway to capture their continued commitment to fighting injustice everywhere.

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Web

Never cease to fight for the underdog.

The website is a place to provide hope for the hopeless, so it had to be simple enough for anyone to use. We intentionally didn’t break the mold – if someone comes to the site distraught, everything should be easy for them. The design pays tribute to their 50-year legacy of inspirational work, while bringing them into the present and future. Each team member’s warmth and unique character comes through in their intimate portraits and video billboards on their individual pages.

GO TO WEBSITE
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Shore Davis Johnston’s Got Soul

Shore Davis Johnston is a criminal defence firm with a 50-year legacy of precedent-setting cases and fighting for the underdog with incredible integrity and conviction. Practising law isn’t their profession – it’s their purpose. Together we uncovered their brand’s soul to help show the world SDJ’s vision of a law firm that stands for authenticity, intimacy, and equality for all.

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Conclusion

Working with SDJ helped us realize that the power of historical legacy can be a potent foundation on which to build for the future, especially when supported by the pillars of equality, purpose, and people. SDJ reminds all of us that we should find a reason to wake up every day. It reminds us to know Why I Wake.