Autism Awareness Australia rebrands for advocacy push

Autism Awareness Australia has rebranded as Autism Association of Australia, with FutureBrand leading the strategy, name and identity work pro bono.

The shift marks a move away from awareness-raising towards systemic advocacy for autistic people and their families.

The organisation said the change reflected a different national context from when it launched nearly 20 years ago, when autism was less widely understood. Today, diagnosis rates are rising and Australia is undergoing major NDIS reform.

Autism Association of Australia is an independent national peak body for autism families. Its website is used by more than 538,000 Australians each year, generating more than 1.5 million page views.

Its newsletter reaches more than 74,000 subscribers, while its social media community exceeds 161,000 people.

Nicole Rogerson, CEO and founder of Autism Association of Australia, said the organisation needed a brand that reflected the seriousness of its advocacy work.

“When we set out to change our name, we needed a partner who would not just design a new logo, but understood why the change mattered,” Rogerson said.

“FutureBrand pushed us past ‘awareness’ and helped us find language and an identity that matches the seriousness of the fight ahead for Australian families.”

Rich Curtis, CEO of FutureBrand in Australia, said the agency saw an opportunity for brand work to support systemic change.

“Amidst the complexity of that system, there is a pivotal opportunity for a bolder brand to make a meaningful difference - if awareness is no longer enough, what next?” Curtis said.

FutureBrand invested more than $100,000 in pro bono work on the project. The agency said it has invested more than $500,000 in pro bono projects for not-for-profit organisations over the past five years.