Kristian is one of my best friends. He’s one of the funniest, most genuine people I’ve ever met. He’s also an addict.
He did not ask to be this way, but the effects of depression and anxiety led him on a path towards the illness and some very dark places.
After losing touch for a few years, Kristian resurfaced on Instagram, sixty days sober and with the announcement that he was launching a new podcast that would detail his journey from a 20-something gripped by alcohol addiction, to where he is now — a man thriving in recovery.
I reached out and offered to help. We caught up on the last few years, I learned a lot about what an addict is and what they are not. Some of his stories genuinely brought me to tears.
Over the last few months we’ve been working together to develop a visual identity and art direction style for the podcast, titled Breaking the Habit — An Odyssey of Addiction, Sobriety and Mental Wellbeing.
The visual identity uses repeated elements that somehow break or change to reflect the idea of “breaking out of the cycle of addiction.” Elsewhere, the use of metaphorical imagery and understated tone of the art direction reflects the raw, unfiltered themes of the podcast, creating an aura for the brand that is neither happy or sad in an attempt to capture the often uncertain journey from addiction to sobriety.
Poignant quotes of famous individuals who have battled addiction are visualised onto billboards and posted across the brand’s social media channels, to highlight their importance and to help give a voice to those who are suffering.
Episode 1 is now streaming everywhere.
More from Ash Watkins.
