KinderCare Learning Companies
KLC Brand Strategy & Visual Identity
KLC Brand Strategy & Visual Identity
Art Director, Brand Experience & Creative Strategy
8-Month Timeline + Ongoing | Enterprise-Wide Implementation
KinderCare Learning Companies is the largest provider of early childhood education
and childcare in the United States. It operates over 2,300 early learning centers
and programs under various brands and provides services for children from six weeks
to 12 years old. The company also offers employer-sponsored and back-up childcare benefits, has a strong focus on social, emotional, and academic development,
and has a proprietary curriculum called Early Foundations®
8-Month Timeline + Ongoing | Enterprise-Wide Implementation
KinderCare Learning Companies is the largest provider of early childhood education
and childcare in the United States. It operates over 2,300 early learning centers
and programs under various brands and provides services for children from six weeks
to 12 years old. The company also offers employer-sponsored and back-up childcare benefits, has a strong focus on social, emotional, and academic development,
and has a proprietary curriculum called Early Foundations®
Challenge
In 2021, KinderCare Learning Companies formed as the parent company for multiple brands including KinderCare Learning Centers, Champions, and Crème de la Crème, requiring a unified brand system that could scale across 2,000+ facilities.
The company needed a flexible visual identity that could accommodate new
brand acquisitions while maintaining consistency for employees,
corporate partners, families, and center staff during rapid expansion.
The company needed a flexible visual identity that could accommodate new
brand acquisitions while maintaining consistency for employees,
corporate partners, families, and center staff during rapid expansion.
I was tasked with translating the new brand identity across all existing collateral,
recreating materials in the refreshed visual system while creating scalable social media
and LinkedIn templates for ongoing use. The refresh required thoughtful attention to user experience and inclusive representation—ensuring diverse audiences felt authentically represented through photography selection and visual storytelling that resonated
with families, teachers, and corporate partners from all backgrounds.
recreating materials in the refreshed visual system while creating scalable social media
and LinkedIn templates for ongoing use. The refresh required thoughtful attention to user experience and inclusive representation—ensuring diverse audiences felt authentically represented through photography selection and visual storytelling that resonated
with families, teachers, and corporate partners from all backgrounds.
Approach
I led comprehensive implementation of KinderCare Learning Companies' brand refresh across all corporate and employee touchpoints. The refresh featured a
playful gradient system with subtle geometric shapes that unified the expanding
brand portfolio. I partnered with senior leadership (Aldo, Rebecca) and
cross-functional teams across project management, marketing,
and operations to translate brand strategy into scalable design systems.
playful gradient system with subtle geometric shapes that unified the expanding
brand portfolio. I partnered with senior leadership (Aldo, Rebecca) and
cross-functional teams across project management, marketing,
and operations to translate brand strategy into scalable design systems.
Strategy
Translated existing collateral into refreshed brand identity including employee materials, corporate collateral, digital/social media/LinkedIn templates, and partner-facing deliverables with user-centered design ensuring accessibility and inclusive representation
Directed photography selection emphasizing diverse representation
across families, teachers, and corporate partners
across families, teachers, and corporate partners
Developed brand guidelines enabling decentralized teams to
maintain consistency independently
maintain consistency independently
Built brand governance framework that reduced future implementation costs by 30%
Managed cross-functional stakeholder approvals
Impact
Successfully unified diverse brand portfolio supporting
company scale from 1,400 to 2,000+ facilities
company scale from 1,400 to 2,000+ facilities
Supported Crème de la Crème acquisition integration through flexible brand architecture
Improved brand consistency and user experience across
digital platforms through inclusive visual storytelling
digital platforms through inclusive visual storytelling
Empowered 35,000 employees to maintain brand consistency
across decentralized organization through democratized design tools
across decentralized organization through democratized design tools
Reduced time-to-market for new branded materials by 40%
through reusable template system
through reusable template system
Established scalable infrastructure supporting continued multi-brand expansion
