In their own words, BP’s ambition is to be a net-zero company by 2050 or sooner. This is major. For many, the initials BP are the very definition of the oil and gas industry, yet a seismic shift from oil to green energy is being spearheaded by BP itself.

Wind energy, carbon capture, electric vehicles, decarbonizing cities, solar, and radically changing oil discovery, extraction and delivery—BP is taking up the challenge on multiple fronts. This aligns with BP’s other efforts to be a good corporate citizen with regards to human rights, greater equity, wellbeing, and creating sustainable livelihoods.

It was important to BP that their efforts were communicated in a manner that reflected their intent. In addition to explaining each initiative, BP gave their efforts a human face by showcasing specific employees involved in their execution. Consider Project Manager Tae Park who is working to make BP’s discovery and delivery process more efficient and environmentally friendly. Park is quoted on BP’s site saying, “It hasn’t always been easy saying that you work in oil and gas in recent years, but from a personal standpoint, you want to do your best for the company.”

Now Mr. Park is proud to be working on initiatives that will help BP ensure a cleaner, safer future. And Mr. Park’s sentiments are shared right up the BP hierarchy, with CEO Bernard Looney stating, “The world’s carbon budget is finite and running out fast; we need a rapid transition to net zero.”

Beyond the plans and the people, the messaging had to have the right look. It had to reflect the urgency of the mission, and the fact that the solution’s architects had the requisite energy and smarts to effect massive change. The message had to be confident, but also flexible–ready to address both current challenges and surprises down the road.

Sam Parrett of Set Sail Studios and London’s Landor and Fitch Agency collaborated to create a perfect print that communicated all points. The two creatives worked together on the ideal customised font for BP based on Sam’s aptly named Better Times. At the same time, YouWorkForThem worked with all parties to ensure that proper licensing was in place that matched the project’s huge scope while ensuring proper recognition and fairness for all parties. The result was fantastic.

The custom font was slightly more kinetic and splashy, focusing on the urgency required by the task. Better Times is a handmade brush font with a highly active appearance, perfect for that forward-thinking brainstorm on the whiteboard. It speaks to new ideas, collective effort, and powerful creative solutions. Its hand-drawn quality makes it human and approachable to match a more human corporate face. The custom font effectively offsets fixed psychological remnants whereby strong, nearly brutalist logos evoked unassailable corporate superpowers, inflexible and never wrong.

That thinking is gone, and Better Times are on the way, exemplified by both BP’s campaign and the stories and visuals that convey it. If your company or your project aren’t on the earth-changing scale of BP’s current efforts, it doesn’t matter: you can still artfully weave your products and mission into perfect visuals to create a harmonious final presentation. It’s of the utmost importance that your ideas are visualized as well as they can be so you communicate confidence, quality, and professinalism, whether your product is industrial, pharmaceutical, or simply a display in your candy store’s window.

In this respect, YouWorkForThem is here to help with both the creative and licensing aspects of your fonts and graphic design materials. YouWorkForThem has endless creative options and legions of designers at your disposal, and many of them will gladly work with you to customize a font or an image, just like Sam Parrett did for BP. On the licensing end, YouWorkForThem will consider all of your use requirements, whether print, broadcast, web, big screen, or more—and make sure all of your licensing is in accord with your plans. We welcome all inquiries, and look forward to collaborating on your next project, whether it changes the world or simply beautifies a classroom wall. Our full range is always here for you, our valued clients and friends.