Pelago
Virtual clinic Quit Genius was created in 2017, it partners with employers to offer discreet treatment for people with addictions, offering to those who need it most. 46% of American workers experienced personal or family problems involving substances or alcohol. Despite 2 in 3 workers believing employers should offer support, only 17% report having this benefit.
Challenge: The leadership team felt the Quit Genius brand was failing to speak to audiences, and a new brand was needed to support members, drive fundraising, and propel growth. Addiction is often associated with stigma and shame. We needed to help alter people’s perceptions around it.
Solution: With the realisation that people going through this feel alone and isolated, the brand positioning: “Nobody is an island” was born. The sector was also loaded with terms like “addict” and “rehab”, so there was an opportunity to change the conversation. We could replace these words with something ownable and different. And by using new words, we helped define a new category: “substance use management for the workplace”. We wanted to remove the stigma around these issues, and make substance use support approachable and accessible.
The shift:
From: This is something I have to go away and deal with alone (rehab).
To: Nobody is an island (support for your everyday life).
Naming workshop
Brand positioning
Brand story
TOV development
Taglines and messaging ideas
Creative concept development
Made with ALINE studio
Creative Director of Copy and Creative Strategy
Press:
Creative Boom
The Brand Identity
Visual Journal
UnderConsideration
Awards: Transform Awards, 2023, Gold
Making waves
Research showed the name “Quit Genius” was potentially problematic, so with the opportunity to create more positive member engagement, we started an in-depth naming process that led us to “Pelago”.
We came to “Pelago” after an in-depth naming process. Rooted in the word “Archipelago” (a string or chain of islands scattered among the sea) Pelago alludes to islands that have moved away from the continent to which they were attached, but, remain close enough to be connected and supportive.
Plain sailing
After defining the brand idea (positioning) we positioned the brand’s story to match its
personality. Optimistic and Ally would represent Pelago’s commitment to supporting members every step of the way. Centered and Progressive would represent
the cutting-edge technology and data-driven insight used to deliver care
informed by science.
Message in
a bottle
The tone of voice came directly from the brand idea “You are not an island”. It was important that the words Pelago used, showed people with dependency that they were far from alone. Phrases, sentences and rules immediately sprung from this creative positioning and a unique brand voice was put out to sea.