Need to Know
24 : 09 : 21

UK – In a bid to align with modern audiences while cutting through the noise surrounding mental health conversations, charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) has undergone a colourful rebranding. Created by London design agency Output and verbal branding agency Reed Words, its visual refresh includes updated messaging for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Statements such as ‘On your side, no matter what’ and ‘Feeling shit?’ are presented in bold fonts against vibrant backgrounds – balancing positivity and empathy with eye-catching design.

CALM's social media content, posters and billboard images will feature eclectic illustrations alongside portrait photography of people with real-life mental health stories. By reaching its audience in this way, CALM recognises the need to engage people through energetic graphic design that challenges tired or harrowing aesthetics relating to mental health. ‘CALM don't ever want to feel like a corporation – they're a group of people speaking directly to other people,’ says Johanna Drewe, creative director and partner at Output.

Such visual identities reflect an ongoing shift in the wider therapy sector, as organisations continue to diversify their communications to meet the needs of the next generation.

US – With ongoing exploration into the psychoactive effects of plants and botanicals in food and drink, beverage brand Amass has created a drink that it describes as mirroring the effect of a ‘strong cocktail’. Embracing the benefits of cannabis infusions, its new non-alcoholic spirit Afterdream combines CBD, THC and Delta-8 with eight terpenes and 14 botanicals including sumac, mint and rosemary.

By using CBD – an ingredient typically associated with the health and wellness sector – Amass is expanding its efforts to bridge the gap between self-care and social rituals. Morgan McLachlan, master distiller at Amass, says: ‘With Afterdream, we wanted to treat cannabis as yet another botanical in our universe, diving deep into cannabis culture and striving to understand the nuances of the plant: its effects, strains, terpenes.’

While the CBD category has been on the rise for a few years, filtering into food, drink and even beauty products, recent research proves its ongoing effectiveness in driving consumer sales – with notable growth in the hard seltzer alcohol category.

There is growing concern that young people in the UK are becoming disengaged from physical activity and school sports. A study commissioned by the Youth Sport Trust – and carried out by Foresight Factory – reveals the need for improved communication and innovation in this area.

According to the research, almost half (45%) of young people would like to see greater use of new technology in physical education (PE) lessons. Meanwhile, young people’s awareness of the benefits they could get from PE and physical activity is in decline. Compared with its first study in 2015, the Youth Sport Trust reports fewer children agree that PE and physical activity help them to be healthy, falling from 78% to 72% in 2021.

With these figures in mind, there is a clear need for media, entertainment and technology brands to step in to better engage young people in physical activity. For more innovations in this area, delve into Tweenage Fitness.