Breaking down barriers
‍Substance use has reached a crisis point in the workplace, with 46% of American workers having experienced personal or family problems involving substance or alcohol use. Despite 2 in 3 workers believing employers should offer support, only 17% report having this benefit. 

Quit Genius was created in 2017 as a virtual clinic that partners with employers to provide discreet substance use treatment at scale, putting help at the fingertips of those who need it most.

Despite traction and success, the leadership team felt the Quit Genius brand was failing to connect with audiences, and a new brand was needed to support members, drive fundraising, and propel growth.

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Creating a category
‍In a sector loaded with terms like “Addict” and “Rehab”, there was a clear opportunity to change the conversation around substance use. By defining a new category of “Substance use management for the workplace”, and a brand idea of “Nobody is an island,” we built a narrative grounded in empathy that would help remove the stigma and better support access to substance use care that works.

You are not an island
With research showing the name “Quit Genius” as potentially problematic, and with the opportunity to create more positive member engagement, we embarked on an in-depth naming process that led us to “Pelago”.

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.

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Propelling people forward
‍To bring Pelago to life we created a balanced brand personality that could support our brand tone of voice and key messaging. 

Optimistic and Ally represent Pelago’s commitment to supporting members every step of the way. Centered and Progressive represent the cutting-edge technology and data-driven insight used to deliver care informed by science.

An anchor for brighter days
‍The new identity feels fresh, modern, and optimistic, as well as flexible enough to work seamlessly with Pelago's ecosystem of clients and strategic partners. 

As the face of the brand, the logo is built around a series of connected ovals that represent the islands in an archipelago, supported by a color palette that pairs the optimistic hero color “Pelago yell-o” with approachable earth tones that speak to a grounding in understanding and knowledge. 

Typefaces are as memorable and unique as Pelago’s members, with the bold-feeling Rebond Grotesque being balanced by Suisse Neue, a serif font used to signify empathy and trust. 

Iconography is designed to create clarity while also being friendly and approach-ably imperfect

Illustrations, created by Jay Cover, were designed to feel quirky and relatable while varying from functional to expressive. Photography is warm, journalistic, and honest. 

Motion is used across the new brand's many applications to build member engagement and bring to life the new brand's optimistic and progressive personality.

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A sea of support
‍As the leading digital clinic for substance use management, Pelago’s mission is to break down barriers to substance use care and create a world where everyone has access to substance use support. To date, they have helped more than 750,000 members manage substance use and improve their lives, and with the new brand, the foundations are in place for the continued growth and support of clients, partners, and members.

"A LINE did an incredible job of understanding our core strategic goals and ambitions, and translating them into the new Pelago brand. They were a thoughtful, supportive partner across all areas of brand creation and development, and the whole team is thrilled with the results” 
Paige Swanepoel – Senior VP of Marketing, Pelago

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"A LINE was an amazing designer partner. From strategy to naming to visual identity, they did a fantastic job of understanding the details and nuances of our business and translating them into a fresh, optimistic new brand that we’re excited to share with the world” 
Selim Sherif – Design Director, Pelago

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"A LINE performed outstanding work in helping us create a new brand that will better support our members, partners, and business moving forward. Thanks to the team at A LINE and Pelago for all their hard work along this transformational journey.” 
Yusuf Sherwani – Co-founder & CEO, Pelago

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A LINE is excited to share that Pelago and A LINE won gold in the category of best visual identity from the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector in the Transform Awards 2023. Read more about the awards here.