BEELOVE
Handmade in love, hope and power
WHAT WE DID TOGETHER
Brand strategy
Brand guidelines
Brand voice
Brand application and materials
Messaging and copywriting
Website design and build
Brand identity design
Packaging and merchandise
Social media assets and campaigns
Beelove’s hive-to-jar products are high-quality, raw honey products handmade by justice-impacted individuals who are on their journey of rediscovering their purpose and redefining their future.
Together with founder Brenda Palms and her team, we transformed beelove’s brand to reflect its vision to empower people through honey and hope.
THE CHALLENGE
Establishing beelove’s own brand
beelove’s work sits at the heart of the Sweet Beginnings programme, run by NLEN in Chicago. It supports justice-impacted individuals through employment opportunities, training and access to work. The results are amazing, with a recidivism rate of only 7%, compared to the national average of 44%, beelove powerfully changes people’s lives. But beelove’s brand wasn’t telling the bigger story and impact: it was only seen as good quality honey products produced under Sweet Beginnings programme. We wanted beelove to stand out on its own in the market and compete with premium beauty brands. It was time to build a brand that actually reflected the passion of the organisation and the difference it makes on people’s lives.
THE CHALLENGE
Establishing beelove’s own brand
beelove’s work sits at the heart of the Sweet Beginnings programme, run by NLEN in Chicago. It supports justice-impacted individuals through employment opportunities, training and access to work. The results are amazing, with a recidivism rate of only 7%, compared to the national average of 44%, beelove powerfully changes people’s lives. But beelove’s brand wasn’t telling the bigger story and impact: it was only seen as good quality honey products produced under Sweet Beginnings programme. We wanted beelove to stand out on its own in the market and compete with premium beauty brands. It was time to build a brand that actually reflected the passion of the organisation and the difference it makes on people’s lives.
THE RESEARCH
Real stories of hope
The research process was unique – not only did we get to talk to board members, team leaders, and staff, but we were able to interview people who have been through the programme. Individuals who are committed more than ever to helping other justice-impacted individuals in their journey because they were first transformed by the work. Brenda Palms, the Founder, herself is the embodiment of love and care for people and her community. Indeed, everyone behind beelove was passionate about giving hope to those in the justice-impacted community, as well as protecting and cultivating bees. We knew that this passion was what made the brand unique.
THE RESEARCH
Real stories of hope
The research process was unique – not only did we get to talk to board members, team leaders, and staff, but we were able to interview people who have been through the programme. Individuals who are committed more than ever to helping other justice-impacted individuals in their journey because they were first transformed by the work. Brenda Palms, the Founder, herself is the embodiment of love and care for people and her community. Indeed, everyone behind beelove was passionate about giving hope to those in the justice-impacted community, as well as protecting and cultivating bees. We knew that this passion was what made the brand unique.
THE STRATEGY
A powerhouse of impact
When we matched Brenda’s heart and the team’s passion with the drive and power to make a change, it was a beautiful combination. We realised beelove is a powerhouse of quality, hope, beauty, and impact. And that this reached far beyond the product, into the community. From the stories of individuals who produce the honey products, the love of the bees, and the transformation the organisation brings to the community, our goal was to tell the power of this narrative and impact. In doing so, transform beelove into its own retail and consumer-facing brand.
THE STRATEGY
A powerhouse of impact
When we matched Brenda’s heart and the team’s passion with the drive and power to make a change, it was a beautiful combination. We realised beelove is a powerhouse of quality, hope, beauty, and impact. And that this reached far beyond the product, into the community. From the stories of individuals who produce the honey products, the love of the bees, and the transformation the organisation brings to the community, our goal was to tell the power of this narrative and impact. In doing so, transform beelove into its own retail and consumer-facing brand.
THE STORY
There's power in honey
To capture the whole story of beelove, we honed in on the word ‘power’. ‘There’s Power in Honey’ has a two-fold meaning: 1. In helping justice-impacted individuals to step towards a brighter future, and 2. Honey is an effective, natural resource. As beelove grows, it will reach more people and bring more change to the community, support more bee populations, produce more products, creating a ripple effect of impact.
THE STORY
There's power in honey
To capture the whole story of beelove, we honed in on the word ‘power’. ‘There’s Power in Honey’ has a two-fold meaning: 1. In helping justice-impacted individuals to step towards a brighter future, and 2. Honey is an effective, natural resource. As beelove grows, it will reach more people and bring more change to the community, support more bee populations, produce more products, creating a ripple effect of impact.
THE IDENTITY
Optimisitic, human, passionate
From the beginning, we wanted beelove’s brand to be vibrant, energetic and gritty. A visual identity that could represent the beauty and heritage of honey products, but still bold and striking—embodying how socially impactful the organisation truly is. With a combination of black and yellow as the starting point, we added orange to add more depth to the palette and represent honey. The bee icon represents both love (heart) and the honey bee. We designed a word mark with curves and handwritten qualities to it, a nod to the handmade process and the individuals behind beelove.
THE IDENTITY
Optimisitic, human, passionate
From the beginning, we wanted beelove’s brand to be vibrant, energetic and gritty. A visual identity that could represent the beauty and heritage of honey products, but still bold and striking—embodying how socially impactful the organisation truly is. With a combination of black and yellow as the starting point, we added orange to add more depth to the palette and represent honey. The bee icon represents both love (heart) and the honey bee. We designed a word mark with curves and handwritten qualities to it, a nod to the handmade process and the individuals behind beelove.
THE IMPACT
The trajectory of growth
Knowing that their products are backed by impact and vision, the new brand gave the team confidence to show up and tell their story to the world. In the first open day to launch the brand, beelove quadrupled its sales and got a new contract. And this is just the beginning! They’re not just scaling opportunities—they’re scaling their impact. We repositioned beelove with prominence and purpose, paving the path to grow bigger and continue to empower people through honey and hope.
THE IMPACT
The trajectory of growth
Knowing that their products are backed by impact and vision, the new brand gave the team confidence to show up and tell their story to the world. In the first open day to launch the brand, beelove quadrupled its sales and got a new contract. And this is just the beginning! They’re not just scaling opportunities—they’re scaling their impact. We repositioned beelove with prominence and purpose, paving the path to grow bigger and continue to empower people through honey and hope.
"This is exactly what we needed – you’ve put everything into this. I can’t tell you what it means for us."
Brenda Palms
Founder, beelove and NLEN