New Work: Rebranding Community Service
How do you make community service something people actually want to do? That’s the challenge Social Friday set out to solve, and we helped reimagine it—turning giving back into something vibrant, engaging, and competitive.
Intro
Almost a decade ago, Fikret Zendeli, a civil engineer and architect from Zurich, had a simple realization: Fridays were a dead zone for productivity. Emails went unanswered, tasks lingered, and his team drifted in a collective limbo, waiting for the weekend. His clients? The same. Fridays felt like wasted time.
But Fikret saw potential in that lost time. What if companies turned those sluggish hours into something powerful? What if they stepped out of their offices, into their communities, and made Fridays about connection and impact?
That idea sparked Social Friday—a deceptively simple but deeply innovative concept: reimagine the final hours of the workweek as a time for action, team building, and purpose. Volunteering, spending time outdoors, or strengthening mental health and camaraderie—Social Friday is about transforming wasted time into meaningful energy.
Community Service Needs a Rebrand
Here’s the problem: community service doesn’t have a good reputation. It’s often seen as a punishment (second only to prison), not something people choose to do. It’s a “should,” not a “want.”
Even with a visionary idea like Social Friday, that stigma made adoption tough. The concept needed clarity. The brand needed to stand out.
That’s where we came in. Fikret asked us to reimagine how Social Friday looks, sounds, and connects with the world. We turned it into a movement built on competitive energy and global collaboration.
A Fresh Perspective
We anchored the brand in a metaphor everyone understands: sports. The camaraderie, spirit, and competition of athletics inspired the framework for a global challenge. Think of it as the Olympics of CSR—where companies compete on a worldwide scoreboard through impactful activities.
The design reflects this energy: bold colors, dynamic typography, and a sense of motion. The messaging? It’s about winning, team spirit, and leaving a legacy—at work and in the community.
Launch
Last week, we brought this vision to life at Social Friday’s official kickoff event. Leaders from 30+ global corporations—including some Fortune 500 companies—came together to celebrate the launch and explore how they can turn Social Friday into a force for good within their organizations.
The event was the start of something bigger—a movement to redefine what it means to give back, build connections, and end the workweek with purpose.
We’re proud to have been part of this journey and can’t wait to see what’s next for Social Friday.
