HERO - Housing and Empowerment for Roma
Client: Council of Europe Development Bank
Agency: Savion Ray
Across Europe, Roma communities have long been marginalized and continue to face social exclusion. One of the most pressing challenges facing Europe’s Roma communities is the struggle to secure adequate housing.
As part of an anti-racism action plan, EU institutions have launched HERO: Housing and Empowerment for Roma, a pilot project funded by the European Parliament and implemented by the European Commission and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB). HERO applies an innovative social investment model to counter the socioeconomic exclusion of Roma communities in Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania.
We set off to change the dominant social narrative surrounding Roma communities to promote inclusion and the work of the HERO project. The common narrative in HERO’s three target countries depicts the Roma as an othered group. They are perceived as nomads by choice, a threat to social order, and a burden to public institutions and society. This negative narrative is offensive, inaccurate, and has no place in contemporary European societies.
Inspired by Romani fashion designers and based on colorful, typical garments
In order to fight back this narrative, the face of the campaign required a fresh restart. As Art Director and Designer of this project, I worked in developing a brand identity that celebrated Roma’s cultural identity, instead of hiding it. Inspired by Romani fashion designers and based on colorful, typical garments, the new brand identity is based on a set of icons that work as building blocks. This provides a flexible and versatile design system that can be adapted for various deliverables while maintaining a consistent and cohesive brand identity.
By celebrating and putting the Roma heritage at the forefront, we are building positive stories to challenge anti-Roma bias and ultimately contribute to a long-term narrative shift that Roma people are an asset to European societies.
A scalable brand identity, capable of adapting to future instances. By combining a few colours of the brand, different countries can develop their unique take on their own communications.
