Why has the World Scouting Membership badge changed?
It changed to reflect the updated World Scouting's emblem and logo: their brand was updated to better reflect its current values, vision, story and experience and convey a more modern and engaging image of the organisation.
How does this affect current young people and volunteers?
A new, updated World Membership Badge will be available for new members from 12 August 2024. Current members can purchase and wear these if they wish, but this is not compulsory. The current World Membership Badge can continue to be worn by UK Scouts and volunteers. There is no need to replace current World Membership Badges on young people’s or adult uniforms.
Why was the World Scout Emblem redesigned and how will it be used?
The World Scout Emblem dates back to the first Scouting expedition on Brownsea Island. Over the years the emblem has been refined and updated, but the meaning has never changed as a universal symbol for Scouts. The fleur-de-lys is our compass and embodies our values, the stars stand for truth and knowledge, the bond is what brings us all together, and the circular rope in a central reef knot symbolises the unity of our global movement. The newly redesigned World Scout Emblem has been carefully crafted to adhere to the elements outlined in the WOSM Constitution, and to honour Scouting’s heritage, while evolving to introduce a more modern and practical design. The new emblem will ensure that this iconic mark remains relevant for future generations as our brand continues to grow and evolve, particularly in a digital world. The redesigned World Scout Emblem will continue to be a symbol of belonging to the Scout Movement and worn worldwide by Scouts as a badge on their uniforms. The emblem is used for official, constitutional, and institutional purposes, as well as for hero moments and universal Scouting experiences that bring us together. The World Scout Badge and World Scout Flag consist solely of the World Scout Emblem, and the emblem can also be used in other applications that include World Scout event logos, World Scouting’s educational initiatives, official certificates and awards, as well as a supporting ‘watermark’ of authenticity.
Is it the first time World Scouting change their brand since Scouting was found?
No, the World Scouting brand was updated also in 2006-2007 during an extensive and multi-year consultation, development and design process. The Scouting brand is recognised globally, and has been widely adopted and adapted by many National Scout Organizations, but has undergone changes over the years. This latest review was approved by the World Scout Conference in august 2021. The aim was to create a more bold, modern, youthful, and digital brand that will better position and promote Scouting as the world’s most inspiring and inclusive youth movement in line with its Vision and Strategy.
What parts of the World Scouting brand are changing?
There are 6 areas being updated as part of this brand refresh:
- The iconic World Scout Emblem - and the world Scout Membership badge that contains it
- A reimagined logo and wordmark for World Scouting
- A new tagline “Ready for Life” available in multiple languages
- An expanded and more vibrant colour palette
- A unique and modern typeface
- A range of secondary creative visual elements.
These changes will be implemented across World Scouting’s communications channels and web platforms, including a redesign of the scout.org website, promotion of the refreshed brand across social media, upgrades to the organisation’s stationery package, and a new line of branded merchandise that will be available for sale at the 43rd World Scout Conference. A new set of online brand guidelines, and key downloadable brand artwork files have also been developed and integrated into a digital solution that will act as a central repository for all brand assets. All World Scouting’s brand guidelines are available and accessible at brand.scout.org to offer clear guidance about how to use the refreshed visual identity and tone of voice consistently and effectively.
How are the new brand elements protected?
The new brand elements are protected through trademark and copyright protection which has been registered with the relevant legal authorities. The brand trademarks and copyrights for the current brand elements will also be renewed next year to extend their protection for the next 10 years to ensure these also remain protected.
What's the difference between the World Scout emblem and the World Scouting logo?
The World Scouting logo establishes a unique brand and visual identity for the organisation whilst the World Scout Emblem is a symbol for the Scout Movement. The World Scouting logomark retains some of the key elements of the emblem with a modern and simplified look that makes it unique to the brand of World Scouting. Learn more about WOSM Brand refresh.
What was the process and who was involved?
A dedicated team of staff and volunteers led the project; it started with a proposal followed by a tendering process to find a marketing agency to deliver the updated brand. Feedback was gathered by an audit and in-depth research with interviews and focus groups with National Scout Organization leadership, young people, adult volunteers, World Scout Bureau and World Scout Foundation staff, World and Regional Committee members, and key partners and stakeholders involved in Scouting. Regular updates were shared with the governance structures and Member Organizations through in-person meetings, e-newsletters, and online NSO Town Halls. In May 2023 at the Strategy for Scouting workshop, the elements of the brand refresh were shown to gather feedback on the work done until then. The National Scout Organisations that have the World Scouting logo in their brand identities had dedicated focus groups in February 2024 to get their feedback and advise them on the process ahead. The results were approved by the World Scout Committee in March 2024, following the procedures stated in the WOSM Constitution
Who paid for this project?
A few generous BP Fellows through the World Scout Foundation to support our new Strategy for Scouting and refreshed brand.
World Scouting logo: its purpose and how to use it.
The name World Scouting acts as a shorthand for the World Organization of the Scout Movement and makes it easily identifiable by National Scout Organizations while positioning it clearly alongside partners, funders and other collaborators. There are two language versions of the logo in English and French, the two official languages of World Scouting. In specific applications, the logomark can be used in place of the World Scouting logo, and is designed to be as versatile and creative as possible to work across multiple mediums and formats, such as for social media avatars, or small-use applications and merchandising.
How to use the redesigned World Scout Emblem and the new World Scouting logo:
The World Scout Emblem can be used by National Scout Organisations as a World Scout Badge on Scout uniforms, or as a symbol of unity and belonging to a global Movement during events and celebrations. National Scout Organisations are free to decide when they choose to introduce the redesigned World Scout Emblem for their national uniforms to avoid placing any immediate and additional costs on Member Organisations or any individual involved in Scouting. The World Scouting logo can be used by National Scout Organisations to signify and visualise their recognised status as Member Organizations of a global Movement. National Scout Organisations are encouraged to make use of the new World Scouting logo on relevant materials, and a flexible transition period will be put in place to avoid placing any immediate and additional costs on Member Organisations. The World Scout Emblem and World Scouting logo may be used together in specific applications where adding the emblem as a visually prestigious or authenticating mark is appropriate.
What does the new tagline "Ready for Life" represent?
The new tagline represents the essence of Scouting’s mission “to contribute to the education of young people” enabling them to be global citizens and to be “self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.” It articulates the refreshed brand’s value proposition “Equipping young people with the skills and values to shape the life they lead.” It works well in English, translates well into other WOSM languages and it's connects to the Scout Motto to “Be Prepared”. It replaces the current tagline “Creating a Better World” an it can be used across a variety of digital, advertising, merchandise and campaign applications.
What other elements are changing?
“Scouting Purple” remains our hero colour, but more bright colours were added as a secondary colour palette to reflect the natural elements of our world - the oceans, forests, deserts and flora. The new colours can be used in combination, and they adhere to international standards for web content accessibility. The primary typeface, Scouts GT Planar, is full of quirky details and distinctive characters that reflect the unique personality of Scouting. This font can allow us to communicate with gravitas and impact when needed, but it can also be used in a more creative and interesting way. The secondary font chosen is Noto Sans, a global font collection for writing in over 800 languages, to be used every day and in digital applications. A series of secondary graphic and visual elements has been introduced to t help to tell Scouting's story, and help connect to its essence; the fabric of visual language is made up of two elements: stiches and the shapes inspired by the structure of the World Scout Emblem. These shapes create a flexible and distinctive graphic language that is bold, colourful and can move while highlighting the aspects of discovery, curiosity and character-building experiences that are inherent to Scouting. The stitches are inspired by the woven elements of Scout badges, knots and scarves, bringing a rich tapestry, patterning and unique detailing to our visual identity. These provide a graphic element that binds the visual identity together and talks about the connections and friendships that Scouting creates. To learn more about the creative elements of the refreshed brand, visit WOSM new brand guidelines.
How will the brand refresh affect partnerships and collaborations with external organisations?
The refreshed brand aims to inspire and motivate Scouts and National Scout Organizations to join WOSM as they get ready to adopt a new Vision and Strategy for Scouting for the next decade: being the world’s most inspiring and inclusive youth movement and creating transformative learning experiences for every young person, everywhere. The refreshed brand also aims to better Scouting's position and raise its profile alongside its partners with the intention to unlock new potential partnerships, create commercial opportunities, and mobilise resources to support the growth, development and impact of the Scout Movement.
What are the implications of the brand refresh for National Scout Organizations that have adopted the "National Scout Identity Brand" approach?
National Scout Organisations that have previously adopted the World Scouting brand as part of their national brand identities under the “National Scout Identity Brand” (NSIB) approach will be allowed to continue to use their current national brand identities as long as they choose. These National Scout Organisations are not asked to make any changes to their current national brands, nor incorporate the new World Scout Emblem into their national brand identities. However moving forward, National Scout Organisations that have previously adopted the NSIB approach will be encouraged and supported to develop their own national brand identity brands independent of the World Scout brand, which reflect the values, traditions, cultures and languages of Scouting in their countries. In the next triennium, World Scouting will offer support through WOSM Services to all National Scout Organisations (both those who have adopted the NSIB approach, as well as those with current national identities that they wish to refresh) to support them in the process.
How will the success of the brand refresh initiative be measured over time?
An objective and key performance indicator will be included in the World Triennial Plan for the 2024-2027 triennium to measure the influence and recognition of World Scouting as a global leader in non-formal education by internal and external stakeholders. The refreshed brand is a key component of raising the profile of World Scouting towards achieving this objective, and questions about the refreshed brand will be included in surveys to National Scout Organization leadership and external stakeholders to help measure its success and impact.
How will the brand be introduced to the Movement?
The new brand was unveiled on 5 August 2024, following a campaign designed to build suspense and excitement online among Scouts. The refreshed brand elements will be implemented immediately by World Scouting across our communications and marketing channels, as well as our web properties and other materials. National Scout Organisations will get an opportunity to experience the refreshed brand for the first time during the 43rd World Scout Conference in Egypt. A second phase of the brand’s implementation will commence after the Conference with a focus on signage and upgrades to the Global and Regional Support Centre offices, and working with the Hosts of future World Scout events to incorporate the refreshed brand elements into the design of these events.
When will newly branded merchandise be available?
A new line of branded Scouting merchandise will be available for sale for the first time on-site at the upcoming 43rd World Scout Conference. The new World Scout Badge can be purchased via The Scouts official retailer Scout Store in August 2024, and we are working to make more branded merchandise available for sale post-Conference.