Paddle for Poplar

Date: September 2025

Industry: Third sector

Poplar HARCA, an award-winning housing and regeneration association in the heart of east London, and Aico, European leaders in home life safety, returned with another creative brief after the success of 2024’s 10 Towers Challenge.

For 2025, they launched Paddle for Poplar, a new charity challenge inviting participants to kayak or paddleboard across the borough’s canals and blue spaces. More than 70 people took part, raising nearly £20,000 for Cancer Research UK and the East London Canal Access Network.

The branding combined a bespoke logo with a vibrant illustration of local landmarks, designed to capture both the energy of the challenge and the character of the area. Rolled out across digital and print promotional materials as well as merchandise, the identity provided a cohesive and eye-catching campaign that built excitement and encouraged participation. The fundraiser took place in early September 2025 and greeted participants and local people with live music, food stalls and an artisanal market.

The process

Placemaking and strategy

The research phase focused on understanding the event’s purpose, audience, and setting. This included exploring the local area and its landmarks, identifying visual elements that could tie the campaign to Poplar’s identity, and reviewing how colour, shape, and typography can evoke energy, movement, and community spirit. The aim was to create a design language that felt both distinctive and rooted in place, while adaptable across print, digital, and merchandise applications.

Logo concepts

Three logo concepts were developed, each exploring different directions for how the event’s identity could connect to Poplar’s waterways and community spirit.

Concept 1 - Making waves

This concept uses Poplar HARCA’s brand font with added curved motifs to evoke the motion of water and paddling. The wave-like flourishes bring a sense of movement and energy while maintaining strong ties to HARCA's existing visual identity.

Concept 2 - Float

This design gives the lettering a soft, inflatable 3D effect, evoking water gear like paddleboards or pool floats. The 'I' is shaped like a paddleboard with a crossed safety rope, and a paddle icon is added to tie in the theme.

Concept 3 - Ripple

Selected as the final version

A tighter logo using “Paddle for Poplar” for punchier impact. The “A” is reimagined as a kayak silhouette with a diagonal paddle forming the crossbar, creating a strong visual anchor and instant recognition.

Bringing the landmarks to life

Alongside the logo, a bespoke illustration was created featuring local landmarks such as the Poplar Union building and nearby canal. Developed in partnership with Tessellate Design Studio, the illustration was designed to complement the logo and inject personality and visual interest into the wider campaign identity.