NHS Tavistock & Portman Trust
We transformed the NHS Tavistock & Portman Trust’s education marketing through a research-driven branding campaign built around the symbolic chair of talking therapies. This strategic and creative initiative broadened perceptions of the Trust’s educational offerings, attracting professionals beyond traditional psychotherapy through compelling multimedia storytelling.
Learn more about the projectContext
The NHS Tavistock & Portman Trust holds global recognition as a leading authority in mental health education and practice. Despite this prestigious reputation, many potential students outside traditional psychotherapy fields remained unaware that the Trust’s educational programmes could be relevant and valuable to their professional development.
The Trust recognised an opportunity to expand their student base by clarifying the breadth of their educational offerings to professionals across diverse fields.
The Challenge
The Trust needed to overcome deeply ingrained perceptions that their courses were exclusively designed for psychotherapists and mental health specialists. This misconception limited their potential student enrolment and restricted the broader application of their expertise across multiple professions.
They required a strategic approach to maintain their respected position in mental health while simultaneously expanding awareness of their educational relevance to professionals in various fields.
Our solution
We approached this challenge by first conducting extensive brand research to identify both the Trust’s brand strengths and common misconceptions. This foundational work informed a comprehensive strategy that celebrated the Trust’s heritage while expanding perceptions of its educational relevance.
Working in our hybrid capacity as brand consultants—combining strategic consultancy with creative agency execution—we developed a campaign centred around the powerful visual motif of a chair, the universal symbol of talking therapies. This creative concept was brought to life through collaboration with video production company Klein & Sons and photographer Mike Stone.
The resulting testimonial campaign deployed across multiple channels—video, web banners, posters, and social media teasers—featured professionals from diverse fields sharing their experiences of how the Trust’s education enhanced their careers. This approach successfully honoured the Trust’s heritage in mental health while demonstrating the broader applicability of their educational programmes, effectively expanding their reach to new professional audiences.
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