Tonic is a friendly, caring Pharmacy based in the heart of Derry/Londonderry. The Pharmacy began in February 1987 with John MacCafferty (originally with the name MacCafferty’s Chemist) with a belief that focusing on the delivery of a personal customer experience. They offer a variety of pharmaceutical services to meet the health needs of the local community.

They are the first in the area to provide a 24-hour prescription ordering app and messaging service. You can also order popular health and beauty products from their online shop.

In their own words:

“We are dedicated to providing a friendly, caring pharmacy experience with an emphasis put on delivering a quality, efficient healthcare service to our community. In November 2007, we purchased the Pharmacy and by following the same ethos the business has continued to grow.

Tonic pharmacy is a trusted e-commerce platform for anyone to purchase quality skin care and health care products, which help people feel better about themselves. Tonic in a sense means rejuvenating/ up-lifting/ invigorating/ replenishing. We sell only products that we feel have these properties and help ailments and treat concerns. We try to focus on natural products, which are not tested on animals and contain only natural ingredients. We offer an e-commerce service to collect in store with 48 hours: ‘pick-me-up’ service or an e-commerce delivery experience option for any of our products. What sets us apart from other retailers is that we have a dedicated pharmacist available to guide and advise on suitability and choice of products via an online chat/email conversation.”

Tonic approached Kaizen Brand Evolution to rebrand their pharmacy of 31 years. They asked us to design and develop a new branding system for a pharmacy, skincare, well-being store and e-commerce business that needed to be contemporary, bright, striking and clean. It should look modern so it could really stand out in Derry/Londonderry, or in any city if they decided to branch out. We wanted Tonic to set a new standard for how modern pharmacies should look.

They wanted to reach a new target audience of Men and Women aged 35+ and Parents. People who really wanted to feel good and really look after themselves would be the type of people Tonic wanted to be their customers.

The new Tonic Pharmacy wordmark consists of the word Tonic and a mortar & pestle (as it’s a tool used to crush, grind and mix solid substances into a powder). Tonic wanted to promote more of their natural medicines. We felt people know Tonic is a medicine, which has a general effect of making you feel good and the mortar and pestle best sums up their natural products.

We developed a tone of voice, which feels really positive, friendly and trustworthy. We wanted people to feel reassured, “Heal & Soothe” knowing Tonic is always there for you, 24-hours a day in-store or online. You can always rely on Tonic, they want you to feel good.

As well as the branding system we had created illustrations of what they stand for; a flower (for natural remedies), a clock (for 24-hour service) and Derry’s Guild Hall (for Trusting Local) using the elements of the mortar & pestle. It would be fun to work on other illustrations. We also created some visuals on how the brand could work across different mediums including their delivery van, packaging, business cards/stationery, signage and their website.

Over time when Tonic has become more established, the T and the Mortar & Pestle could be used stand-alone, and it will still be recognized as Tonic Pharmacy.

We enjoyed working with Tonic Pharmacy on this branding project; we can’t wait to see the brand being rolled out across their vans, social media and perhaps a visit to their store. I would like to see Tonic expand and set the bar for modern pharmacies.