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Throughout January this year, Channel 4 ran provocative documentaries on what we eat, promising viewers they would 'never look at food the same way again'. Many of the programmes focused on farm animal welfare, an issue that in recent years has grown steadily in profile.

For Richard Brooks, director of marketing at Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), a charity that seeks to abolish factory farming, this was an opportunity not to be missed. 'Food has never been higher on the agenda and we wanted to position ourselves at the heart of the debate,' he says.

To this end, CIWF launched a supermarket survey and placed the results on its website. When viewers click on different animal and food group icons, they can see each of the major supermarkets' policies on farming that animal. For example, only Waitrose provides its ducks with enough water to swim in, while Sainsbury's and Tesco still keep some sheep and cattle in permanent indoor housing.

Previously, CIWF focused on pushing for legislation to protect animals in the food industry but, by rebranding, it hopes to capture the attention of the wider public. 'We're not going to abandon the heritage of the organisation; rather, we're going to broaden its appeal,' states Brooks. 'If you eat meat, which most of us do and we're not saying you shouldn't, we're the organisation that can tell you how to do that with animal welfare in mind.'

For design consultancy Taylor McKenzie, which was brought in to work on the project, the old logo required major changes. 'On the previous image, the thick green line was suggestive of containment rather than freedom - and CIWF is not asking anyone to stop eating meat,' comments Kate Bowen, a director at Taylor McKenzie. 'On top of this, the old lamb was poorly drawn and the text was so small it would be almost illegible when reproduced in a smaller format.'

A complete overhaul was needed. 'The first question we asked was: how do we suggest the idea of an animal that is happy and free?' explains Bowen. 'We used a circle, which is suggestive of outdoors and the sun. Then we redrew the lamb jumping outwards, expressing its freedom. The logo now works in large and small formats, while the brighter shade of green suggests optimism and is easier to reproduce in print and online.'

Engaging with the public digitally is a key part of CIWF's future strategy. Its logo is now flexible enough to work across portable devices, such as personal digital assistants and mobile phones. This, plus the updated website, means there are a host of new ways to help people think before they buy meat.

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