Things are changing in the medical cannabis scene in Australia. While this change is long overdue for some, many are still sceptical. Cannabis for medical use has been legal in Australia for quite some time, but its life-changing benefits are still often overshadowed by the stigma around it. Alternaleaf is the biggest medicinal cannabis provider in Australia and was named one of Deloitte’s Tech Fast 50 companies of 2022. While it has a considerable loyal customer base and is experiencing continual growth, the team at Alternaleaf realised that it was time for the brand to step up to reach its full potential.
Our roles
Brand identity
Visual identity
Messaging framework
Voice guidelines
Press
"Record funding for virtual car yard that gets rid of used car salesmen"
The team at UntilNow developed a strategic roadmap for our future and then delivered an incredible identity to convey this vision
Tyler Wilchek
,
GM of Marketing
at
Alternaleaf
The team at UntilNow developed a strategic roadmap for our future and then delivered an incredible identity to convey this vision
Tyler Wilchek
,
GM of Marketing
at
Alternaleaf
Results
6weeks
from strategy to final identity
16interviews
with patients and doctors
01.
Pre-branding groundwork
By starting with employee and patient interviews, we quickly realised that Alternaleaf is a brand that really cares. From recounts of employees going above and beyond to deliver on time, to touching stories of lives being infinitely improved by the products, it was clear we had a brand of substance to work with. We continued our assessment by conducting intensive workshops with the wider team to define a clear positioning, purpose and ultimately, a personality for Alternaleaf. Through this process, we defined where Alternaleaf currently sits; a company that deeply cares for its clients, to where it wants to go; a company that educates a wider audience, destigmatising and eventually normalising cannabis for medical use. We recommended that the brand anticipate the changes ahead and communicate with a balance of progressive insight and foregone conclusion. It needed to strike a balance between being conventionally medical and organically natural; more progressive than conservative but not alienating newcomers to the brand.
For its written communication, we defined three pillars that shape its tone of voice. Alternaleaf does more than care; it empowers its clients to improve their quality of life. It breaks down barriers, catering to audiences from different backgrounds. Lastly, it does more than just provide medicine; it promotes holistic health and well-being.
With this important groundwork done, we could move on to creating a brand that translates these values and attributes into an uplifting visual identity.
02.
Turn a leaf concept
Turn a leaf: A visual concept so clear, you can practically hear it in the brand’s name. The imperative to turn over a new leaf, to make a change or start afresh, puts the ball in the individual’s court. You have the power to manage your pain, to improve your mental health, to sleep better. The twisting visual device, which always moves down to up and left to right, symbolises this positive change; the upwards progression in quality of life.
The device is employed in the wordmark’s A, which instantly builds a bridge to the rest of the communication where the twist forms the base of a flexible and dynamic visual system. We paired this with the approachable, geometric typeface Mier B that is employed across all brand touchpoints.
03.
Brand elements
The colour palette combines the brand’s warmth and approachability with colours that emit calm and trust. We made a point to steer away from typical green hues that feel very overdone when looking at the competitor space, or psychedelic-neon tones - not a theme we wanted to reinforce!
Alternaleaf’s overall positive stance is further translated in photography guidelines that consist of people, settings and emotive analogies. We focused on showing diverse, ‘real’ people in candid, everyday settings. Outside with natural light helps to convey the warmth and hope that Alternaleaf offers, while more close-up, abstract scenes in nature convey a spectrum of positive emotions.
Finally, the identity was rolled out in a range of imminent and future examples to demonstrate how it could be applied. We presented to the broader team, providing them with a high overview of the strategic rationale behind the brand and then stepped through the guidelines in detail.
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