Services
Brand Strategy, Naming, Logo and Visual Identity
Sector
Nonprofit/Human Services
For more than 45 years, PLOWS Council on Aging has provided meals, programs, and social services for older adults in Chicago’s south suburbs. The organization’s name had become a barrier: it didn’t evoke its mission or describe its services, and was a frequent source of misunderstanding among the populations it served. Substance developed the name Pathlights to reflect the shared path older adults take through the aging process, and the guidance offered along the way. The logo suggests a series of paths emanating from a P letterform, with a colored dot on the “i” reinforcing the idea of light and direction.
Impact
The organization saw strong growth in revenue and program reach in the years following the launch, along with increased engagement from foundations and volunteers. Older adults and their families also responded to the new name and identity, finding it easier to understand what Pathlights offered and to seek out its services without the stigma or confusion the old name carried.
0 %
Increase in contributions and grants in the rebrand year
0 %
Total revenue growth
+ 0
Older adults served annually
Brand Vision
Aging means different things to different people. People plan their education, careers, and finances, but rarely plan for aging itself. This idea, that we don’t have to age, we get to age, became the governing principle behind the new Pathlights brand.
Pathlights isn’t only for older adults. It’s built for the whole community, and the name, logo, and visual identity reflect that broader reach.
The Pathlights brand extends into a series of billboard and signage executions built around a simple wordplay device: everyday words with “age” embedded and highlighted within them, like Courage, Finally, and Community. Paired with authentic black-and-white photography of older adults in real moments of connection, the campaign turns the visual identity into a message in itself, reinforcing that aging is something to embrace, not hide from.
Each execution pairs its headline with a short line of supporting copy: “It takes guts to keep going. We make sure you never do it alone.” “Someone on your side.” “Aging is a shared journey. Nobody should walk it alone.” Together, they carry the brand’s tone across formats, from large-scale billboards to street-level signage, while staying flexible enough to speak to different moments and audiences.
