Boldli

This organization was working with nearly 4,000 young people throughout Metro Detroit and across the state—but you’d never know it. As Detroit Institute for Children, they’d long ago become an entity that was highly respected and known for their well-established expertise. Yet over the years they largely disappeared from public view, relying on word-of-mouth to connect with new families, schools and community partners. A wide and often confusing array of services and programs created real impact for young people and families, but often operated in silos with seemingly no common threads. Our discovery interviews and a team insights workshop found their collective driving force: their forward-thinking commitment for each young person to have exceptional moments in their every day, and to enjoy everyday experiences as their exceptional selves.

A bold new name for a century of innovation:

Once we knew their core “why”, and had a clear sense of their personality rooted in the inclusive, reliable and undaunted “Everyman” archetype, their need for a new name became even more crucial. It was time to shed outdated language and approaches, and to honor their 100+ years of innovation with a name that was as bold and unique as their work. One that represented their ever-growing community of young people and their families, educators, neighbors and community partners.

The name Boldli emerged early in our process, and proved its inspiration and resilience through several rounds of review. Its unique spelling sets the example for embracing differences, and also a reminder to find the fun in it all. Their descriptor “Exceptional Youth Services”, which most often accompanies the brandmark, identifies their key clients and grounds the organization in its decades of professional expertise.