Serviceplan teams up with Hey to brand LGBTQ+ initiative Rainbow Wool

“Around 1 in 12 sheep are gay,” says global agency network Serviceplan, “but since gay rams can’t be used for breeding, it doesn't end well for them.” Together with Michael Stücke, an openly gay farmer from Germany, they transformed this insight into Rainbow Wool – a purpose-driven initiative that makes wool from gay rams into fashionable statements for LGBTQ+ rights, not only helping gay sheep, but also gay humans!

As longtime admirers of Hey and their colourful approach, Serviceplan invited the Barcelona-based design studio to devise the corporate identity of the brand, Andy Wyeth, Managing Director of Creation at Serviceplan Cologne explains. “They developed the colours, logo concept, wordmark, and overall look and feel – providing us with a comprehensive toolbox. From there, we expanded into product design, website development, social media aesthetics, motion design, and the broader campaign visuals.”

With a “provocative, cheeky, and unapologetically bold” image, their creative approach embraces activism and accessibility, turning a serious message about animal welfare and queer rights into a vibrant, engaging brand that shows how commercial creativity can be harnessed to address social issues.

“The idea that instantly captivated us was brilliantly simple,” says Wyeth. “The design team at Hey shared an image of a large flock of sheep walking down a road. In the next slide, that same image was transformed into minimalist white and grey half-circles – distilling the sheep into their purest, most essential form. This is exactly what Hey does best! Then, they incorporated a statistic we provided – 1 in 12 sheep is gay. Suddenly, some of those plain white and grey half-circles turned into vibrant, colourful ones, bringing the design to life.” These half-circles became the foundation of the logo. The seven half-circles above the wordmark represent seven fabulous gay rams from Rainbow Wool’s flock – turning simplicity into a bold and meaningful statement. This, according to Wyeth, was key to its success. The wordmark is made from TWK Burns, “a modern, confident font” that is applied across the brand’s communication in three weights.

The resurgence in popularity of patches – as a form of personal expression and customisation – inspired the team to create their own collection. “One of our main goals of the project was to make a fashion statement for the queer community, and patches made from the wool of gay sheep with messages stitched into them created the perfect way to do this.” Crowdsourced from talented designers across the Serviceplan Group, these became a cornerstone of the brand’s identity, offering an accessible way for supporters to show their solidarity, with all profits going to charities to support queer people. “We obviously have a limited amount of wool from our one-of-a-kind flock, so patches provided a perfect way to scale up the number of products in our operation,” says Wyeth. Some of the patch designs were also added to limited-edition products such as T-shirts, scarves and backpacks. 

“From the playful use of colour to the daring visual elements, every detail has been thoughtfully crafted to reflect the essence of Rainbow Wool. It’s a balance of creativity and confidence that not only encapsulates the brand’s personality, but also reinforces its mission to challenge norms and celebrate diversity,” Wyeth concludes.