As we write this in early May, 2020, there are months before our work for Kaplan Early Learning Company goes live, which means there are months before we can put together a true case study for you to see. But, because the good folks at Kaplan are wonderfully kind and generous, they’ve approved this look into the work we did.

But how do you showcase a complete brand refresh without letting the entire cat out of the bag? Admittedly, that’s a difficult task. Everything that surrounds a brand refresh — a new mission and vision, a new tone within the copy, a new look and feel for every touchpoint from print to emails to web to social, internal executions to rally employees around the new brand philosophy and more — any part could give away the whole. Sometimes, you have to be bold and take a risk.

So, here we go:

Are you not amazed?

We kid, we kid. We chose this single image because there is no reasonable level of worry that top-secret brand identity information can be gleaned from it. And that’s the point of this exercise, right? It’s nothing more than a circle (well, circle-ish object, anyway), treated in a way that keeps it from having a uniform color.

But we’re in love with this circle. Out of context, it has no meaning. But, the truth is this: it represents so much about Kaplan. It represents a brand vision wholly unique in the world of early education. It represents more than a belief — it speaks to a scientifically validated truth. It is compassion, understanding and motivation, all at once.

This simple, circle-ish mark is a powerful message. It demonstrates a boldness to set oneself apart from his or her competitors. It represents a brand unafraid to establish itself as a thought leader in a sizable industry.

This tiny, purplish shape is the future of early education. You’ll see why soon enough.