The American Cancer Society’s mission is near and dear to our hearts, so it was a gift to lead the naming and re-branding for their e-commerce platform that sells wigs, headwear, mastectomy and recovery products to assist people with the treatment-related side effects of cancer.
The Opportunity
Since 2005, the American Cancer Society has provided wigs, headwear, bras and related products to help people undergoing cancer treatment through its “tlc” Tender Loving Care program. With a generic name that didn’t embody the program’s purpose and increasing competition, the American Cancer Society turned to Round Square to refresh the program for increased impact.
The Research
We conducted extensive market and audience research, starting with one-on-one interviews with people who 1) had received a cancer diagnosis within the past three years, 2) had undergone chemo, radiation and/or a mastectomy, 3) had experienced at least one appearance-related side effect, and 4) had searched for or purchased products online to assist with physical side effects.
Three important insights emerged from our research:
- Looking in the mirror is hard for many going through treatment. Interviewees didn’t just want to “look good,” they wanted to look and feel like themselves. They expressed wanting to “feel normal.”
- The shopping process during cancer treatment is extremely overwhelming. Interviewees want something to make it easier. When it comes to products, interviewees care most about comfort and quality.
- People don’t associate the American Cancer Society with having a retail shop or the variety, quality or convenience they might expect from traditional retailers. That made it important for the brand to lead as an e-commerce retailer over a nonprofit program.
The Identity & Impact
Building from the research, Round Square created the name EverYou to replace “tlc.” It addresses people with cancer’s desire to look and feel like themselves by directly conveying that no matter what you experience or go through, you’re always you (and you deserve to look and feel like it).
We also introduced a new logo featuring a customized version of Orange Squash typography with rounded edges to convey the softness people are searching for.
The lowercase e stands tall and proud, looking skyward to reflect confidence and optimism. Because audiences say they want to see themselves when they look in the mirror, the custom-created petal at the top of the u was developed from a mirror image of the whitespace in the e.
The u design was inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi, which repairs broken pottery using gold lacquer. Rather than hiding cracks and imperfections, the art accentuates breakages as what makes pieces more beautiful. Like cancer, one’s experience and scars make them stronger and more beautiful. You see a break in the u, which reflects the continued beauty in your story as you break free from cancer (or feeling like it defines you). Additionally, because the newly created shape looks like a petal, it suggests continued evolvement and growth and that cancer is just a piece of you — you are and always will be so much more than cancer.
Using the lowercase u as the web favicon or social icon puts emphasis on the customer, as the letter u shares the same phonetic pronunciation as You.
The petal can be used to form quotation marks and geometric graphic backgrounds to bring visual interest and dynamism to the identity.
In addition to the new name, logo, and brand identity guidelines, Round Square also revamped the American Cancer Society’s product catalog and created the front-end design for the new website.
Sample Brand Messaging
You are not the bald one or the sick one or the walk-on-eggshells-when-you’re-around-them one.
You are Addison’s mom. Sam’s grandmother. Christopher’s dad. You’re the high school teacher. Business leader. Weekend explorer. Early morning jogger. Bedtime storyteller. World’s best spaghetti maker … and everything in between.
You are not your cancer. Not even close.
You are just you — wonderful, beautiful, sometimes complicated, perfectly normal, you.
And you deserve to feel like it. Always.
Here at EverYou™, we know how cancer can steal so many things that make us feel like ourselves. That’s why we provide the best quality wigs, headwear, mastectomy, and recovery products to help you keep looking and feeling like yourself.
Each product is carefully chosen by experts at the American Cancer Society, in partnership with people living with cancer.
With a no-questions-asked return policy and our team of experts ready to assist you, we’re here to take some of the guesswork out of this overwhelming time to bring more ease to your everyday.
The Impact
EverYou officially launched in August 2024, and we will track sales and results as they become available.
Upon releasing the new brand internally, one staff member shared the following:
Learn more and explore the new EverYou at EverYou.com.
