We partnered with Up In Arms to refine their campaign narrative and create a brand identity that effectively portrays their anti-war, humanity-centered message.
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Up In Arms is a multi-year, sustained, and strategic campaign educating everyday Americans on excess war spending and its detrimental effects.
Formed by Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s and lifelong political activist, Up In Arms draws attention to the fact that the United States spends more on war and war preparations than the next nine countries combined.
We created custom U.S.-Army-inspired typography to frame the topic, and designed a figurative icon that combines universal signals of S.O.S. – an orange distress cloth and a person waving their arms up and down – transforming a call for rescue into a call to action.
Image treatments using duotone color palette layered with heavy grain evoke the texture of aged film and the eerie degradation found in footage exposed to radiation. This visual grit recalls the look of classified or redacted government and military files.
The Up In Arms website functions as a narrative representation of the core of Up In Arms’ messaging, while remaining flexible and scalable to accommodate developments in the campaign’s multi-year strategy. Data visualizations and graphical motifs across the site showcase the extent of misuse of taxpayer money, and illustrate the cost to domestic progress and the American Dream.
Our work extended off-screen through print pieces and signage designed and installed at high-visibility spark events at Times Square in NYC and Union Station in D.C., and merchandise spanning from apparel to everyday household items.
Our union-made, USA-manufactured merchandise was designed to resonate across the tens of thousands of individuals united by the mission to stop out-of-control Pentagon spending, all of which is housed on a flexible online store architecture that matches the website.
Our merch was featured on online talk shows, including a conversation between Hasan Piker and Ben Cohen, which generated hundreds of thousands of views, and at various rallies and protests, including at the National Mall and outside Lockheed Martin’s factory. Timely merch drops on the website in response to breaking news, including tongue-in-cheek satirical references to developments like the proposed “Golden Dome,” keep the campaign culturally relevant and in conversation with the moment.
Project Credits
Client
Up In Arms
Sector
Political Justice
Year
2025-2026
Project Scope
Brand Guide
Pitch Deck
Print Collateral
SEO Strategy
Verbal Identity
Visual Identity
Website Design (UI/UX)
Website Development
Project Team
Maria Arenas
Emily Keren Li
Shivani Reddy
Malavika Srinivasan
Scott Starrett
Collaborators
Financial Innovations Inc.
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