Weatherize Buffalo
Logo design, naming & outdoor marketing strategy help Buffalo non-profit represent its services.
Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of South Buffalo is a non-profit organization that supports low-income and elderly households in Buffalo. By weatherizing homes at no cost, NHS improves energy efficiency and reduces maintenance needs. This enables residents to remain in their homes and helps strengthen the community.
In 2024, NHS expanded its services citywide and initiated a rebrand to better reflect its broader impact. Familiar with OtherWisz’s work with other Buffalo non-profits, we were brought in to help. Our goal was to develop a timeless, scalable name that accurately represents the organization’s identity and mission, while appealing to a wider Buffalo audience.
Services: Logo/Identity Design, Naming Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Outdoor Advertising, Website Maintenance
We began by researching similar organizations, meeting with the client, and brainstorming ideas. After generating several options, we shared the strongest with NHS staff and refined the list based on their feedback. The top choices were presented to the NHS board and stakeholders, each with a suggested tagline. Weatherize Buffalo stood out as the favorite, paired with the new tagline, “Energy efficiency services for better living.”
Renaming or updating a logo can raise concerns about losing decades of brand recognition. Our team carefully created visuals that retained the spirit of the original NHS logo while introducing a fresh look. Guided by client feedback, we developed preliminary concepts that led to a logo unanimously approved by the board. The design features a series of houses representing the neighborhood community, protected year-round as symbolized by the snowflake and sun icons.
A logo forms the foundation of a new visual identity. For Weatherize Buffalo, we introduced an updated color palette, new typefaces, and a refreshed graphic style to reflect the organization’s future direction. To ensure consistency, we developed Brand Standards to guide visual and verbal messaging across all platforms, supporting recognition, trust, professionalism, and reliability.
To launch the new branding and attract clients for the winter season, we partnered with Weatherize Buffalo to create a transit marketing campaign. Featured in bus shelters and on interior buses throughout Buffalo, the campaign ads feature bright, eye-catching graphics and a bold headline—”Lower Your Energy Bills for FREE”—to encourage viewers to call or scan a QR code linking to the website.
The campaign launches in September 2026. Success will be measured by website traffic from the QR code and service call requests. As this is Weatherize Buffalo’s first marketing campaign, the team is ready to help more Buffalo residents lower their utility bills through energy-efficient upgrades, enabling them to remain in their homes.
