Brand Union and Colophon design fragmented typeface to convey Dementia

Brand Union has worked with font foundry Colophon to develop a typeface reflecting the disorientation of having Dementia. Created as part of Brand Union’s wider identity for Race Against Dementia, Formula One legend Jackie Stewart’s charity, the typeface has letters split halfway down and jolted to the side, a distortion that conveys the unsettling and disconnected nature of the disease. 

Brand Union conceived the name Race Against Dementia and designed the charity’s bold and disruptive identity, which the agency explains is imbued with Jackie’s story and “the speed and thrill of motorsport.” As such the design uses a vivid blue colour palette that references the racing driver’s Scottish heritage and the colour characteristic of his cars. The agency also created a toolkit for photographic treatment using an archive of Jackie and Helen’s photographs. 

The typeface is named Helen after Jackie Stewart’s wife, who has Dementia. The charitable initiative aims to raise awareness of the disease and fund research into a cure and preventative medicine.