At Rethink Mental Illness, we’re on a mission to bring about meaningful change. From our health and social care system, to the way society views mental illness, and to people’s lives across the country. Today, we have launched a new look that will further our mission. 

Amanda Thomson, our Head of Brand, Communications and Marketing explains:

We want to transform the way people severely affected by mental illness and their carers are supported, and ensure that everyone is respected and treated equitably. We felt that our brand was no longer in step with our mission. Our work has evolved, and we felt our brand needed to, too.

The feedback we received

Our decision to refresh our brand was driven by people who live with mental illness, or care for someone who does, the professionals who support them, and our staff (many of whom also fall into one or more of these categories). Although people felt that our name was recognisable and we were known for our expertise in mental illness in the mental health landscape, we were sometimes seen as too ‘corporate’, too ‘clinical’ and even a little ‘cold’.  We heard that they wanted us to be more reflective of the diverse experiences of those living with severe mental illness today. This was particularly important to us as an anti-racist organisation.

Our visual identity and the way we verbally communicate to our audiences therefore needed to change to more closely mirror our values.

How we did it

We know that there is still stigma around mental illness, so we wanted our new thought bubble logo to more impactfully represent our name, and make people rethink their often outdated, hurtful or misguided views on mental illness.

Mental illness conditions can also be complex and challenging, but people living with it can not only survive, but thrive. Our colours were chosen because they were warmer and friendlier, conveying our compassion but also reflecting our boldness in campaigning on difficult issues.  It was also crucial that these were accessible, so readers with visual impairments and disabilities can see and understand our designs. We now also have a tone of voice which is more flexible, meaning we can talk in a more formal way to some of our audiences, and a more chatty way to others (like our fabulous fundraisers). And we arrived here by working with a creative agency called Lark, and the numerous groups who gave their valuable time and suggestions which helped shape the new brand.

"Being involved in developing the branding made me realise no branding can capture the real-world force for good that is Rethink."  

- Sarah, Expert by Experience