Raiffeisen Bank: FONTS AGAINST ILLITERACY

Credits & Description:

Type of entry: Graphic Design & Design Crafts

Category: Design Typography

Advertiser: BUNDESVERBAND DER DEUTSCHEN VOLKSBANKEN UND RAIFFEISENBANKEN

Product/Service: VOLKSBANKEN RAIFFEISENBANKEN

Agency: HEIMAT Berlin, GERMANY

CCO: Guido Heffels (Heimat/Berlin)

Creative Director: Ralf Reinsberg (Heimat/Berlin)

Creative Director: Johannes Heldrich (Heimat/Berlin)

Creative Director: Tim Schneider (Heimat/Berlin)

DOP: Johan Kramer/Lex Brand (Trigger Happy Productions)

Editor: Hannes Andresen ()

Sounddesign: (Audioforce/Berlin)

Art Director: Benedikt Wisbauer (Heimat/Berlin)

Copywriter: Lukasz Ciszewski (Heimat/Berlin)

Art Assistant: Philipp Bertisch (Heimat/Berlin)

CEO: Matthias von Bechtolsheim (Heimat/Berlin)

Account Director: Mark Hassan (Heimat/Berlin)

Account Director: Volker Jensen ()

Executive Producer: Stephan Vens/Miliane Nani Meimeth (Trigger Happy Productions)

ECD: Myles Lord (Heimat/Berlin)

CEO: Matthias von Bechtolsheim (Heimat/Berlin)

Copywriter: Lukasz Ciszewski (Heimat/Berlin)

Brief Explanation

Ernst, a member of the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken, learned to read and write at the age of 55. We proved the power of cooperative support by using Ernst's first handwritten words for his very own font: the "Ernst-55.

Designed not by font-designers, but by fate, hope and the strength of Ernst. Telling Ernst's story with every single dot, every line and every letter.

We shared his story via via printed supplement, online and his significant handwriting as downloadable font "Ernst_55" on www.fontshop.de For every download Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken donated 1 € for a national literacy project.

Describe the brief from the client

The cooperative Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken draw their strength from the 17 million members, who are more than just clients. They actually own the bank and decide how the bank is doing its business. And this is what sets them apart from all other banks. We want to show the difference to "classic" banks and the power of cooperative support and success as heart of the cooperative banking idea.

Design Process

To inspire others to beat illiteracy, the font "Ernst_55" is the original handwriting of Ernst Lorenzen, a man who just has learned to read and write at the age of 55.

Results

- 10.000 users of "Ernst_55"

- 500,000 readers of Ernst's first handwritten words

- 7.500,000 illiterates inspired to learn reading and writing

?