The next chapter for a national Mental Health services provider

Whitenoise rebrands Mental Health First Aid Ireland

Whitenoise has partnered with Mental Health First Aid Ireland to develop a new brand architecture designed to bring distinction and flexibility to its growing family of programmes and services.

A successful rebrand is about much more than changing how an organisation looks. It is an opportunity to understand what has been already built, identify what needs to evolve and create a visual and strategic system capable of supporting where an organisation wants to go next.

In 2026 Whitenoise was commissioned to develop the full brand architecture for a wider group of offerings housed within the St John Of God University Hospital, including Mental Health First Aid Ireland (MHFA Ireland). The challenge set was to create greater clarity across the organisation and its programmes while ensuring that the qualities people already associated with Mental Health First Aid Ireland (trust, accessibility and familiarity) remained at the heart of the new identity.

The challenge

Mental Health First Aid Ireland is Ireland’s only licensed provider of Mental Health First Aid and forms part of the global community of 30 active license providers across 29 countries. A staggering eight million people have received Mental Health First Aid training internationally, including over 28,000 people in Ireland.

At its heart, MHFA Ireland equips people with the knowledge and confidence to offer initial support to someone experiencing a mental health problem. Its courses help participants recognise signs and symptoms, understand evidence-based approaches to support. Participants are also introduced to a framework for communication, helping them understand how to approach a conversation, provide appropriate initial support and encourage someone towards professional treatment and other sources of help where needed.

As MHFA Ireland has grown, so too has the breadth of its work. The new identity therefore needed to do more than refresh how the organisation looked. It needed to create a clear and adaptable system capable of distinguishing its Adult and Youth Programmes while bringing the wider offering together under one recognisable brand.

"The Mental Health First Aid Ireland brand identity is visual representation of a very real lifeline to so many people impacted by its services across Ireland. Because of that it needed to be handled with care and respect straight out of the gate, and I think the journey we went on with their teams during the brand process cemented that history and legacy."

- Laura Smyth, Whitenoise Director

Our response : evolution rather than reinvention

Rather than approaching the project as an isolated visual refresh, Whitenoise considered the organisation as a wider brand ecosystem.

The new architecture needed to create a clear relationship between different areas of activity, make it easier to distinguish programmes, and provide a practical system that could be used consistently by MHFA Ireland’s internal team and wider network of associates.

Developing a family feel with intentional distinction

At the same time, it couldn't feel like an entirely different organisation. That meant identifying which elements of the existing identity carried valuable recognition and determining how these could sit alongside a more contemporary and flexible visual language.

The process involved close collaboration between the Whitenoise and MHFA Ireland teams, with ideas being discussed, challenged, tested and refined before the identity began moving into rollout.

Empowering ownership through stakeholder engagement

Whitenoise invested 100+ hours into a robust engagement process involving thorough brand research, stakeholder engagement through workshops, survey and individual consultation.

The following brand concepting and iteration of designs involved a phased approach - bringing leadership, employees and volunteers on a staged journey to encourage buy-in and ownership of the final brand identity and application.

“It’s very satisfying to see the new Mental Health First Aid Ireland identity beginning to emerge into the real world.

for us, this process was long anticipated and t was never just about changing a logo or refreshing colours for us. It was about creating an identity that could reflect the breadth and future of Mental Health First Aid Ireland, clearly distinguish our Adult and Youth Programmes which have become increasingly independant, connect with our team and associates, and still feel recognisably like us. We wanted evolution but also to hold onto what people already recognise and value about MHFA Ireland. It was a very tall bill to deliver for Whitenoise!”

- Elaine Mcdonald Head of Communications & Engagement

“From my perspective so much thought has been invested into creating a brand that feels fresh and distinctive while still preserving the warmth, trust and authority Mental Health First Aid Ireland has built over the past ten years.

Working on the brand rollout has shown me how much care and expertise sits behind a rebrand process. Further to a colour pallette and new logo, the brand expresses who we are, what we value and how we want people to experience our work. Whitenoise has considered how the new brand will be experienced by every possible audience, and tailored materials to speak to those unique groups. We now have a wealth of assets that are appropriate, exciting and fit for the next chapter.”

- Krishna Manmadhan Communications & Engagement Assistant

Ready for the next chapter

After the conversations, exploration, development and refinement comes one of the most rewarding stages of any branding project: seeing the identity leave the design process and begin to exist in the real world.

For Elaine, seeing the identity move from the development process into the real world has been particularly rewarding.

“A big thank you to everyone who helped shape it, and to the Whitenoise team for taking all of those layers and turning them into something that feels clear, considered and true to the work.”

And for Krishna, the launch represents a new beginning:

“I’m proud to have played a part in bringing this new chapter to life and very excited for what comes next.”

The refreshed identity is now making its way across Mental Health First Aid Ireland’s communications and programmes. We’ll soon be sharing the full case study, revealing the strategy, collaboration and creative thinking behind the work.

If you are interested in a brand refresh, identity development or creative injection for your organisation or company - reach out to info@whitenosiestudios.com. We would love to talk with you.