Heart Research Institute Brand Refresh
Breaking ground. Healing hearts.
Overview
Heart Research Institute (HRI) partnered with Marlin to deliver a bold, contemporary brand refresh that reflects its deeply human-centred approach to cardiovascular research.
As a globally recognised research institute, HRI exists to save and improve lives through science, innovation and compassion. While its research leadership was well established, the organisation recognised the need for a brand that better expressed its purpose, ambition and the people at the heart of its work.
Working closely together, we developed a refreshed identity and new tagline that balances scientific excellence with warmth, optimism and connection. Inspired by the cardiovascular system itself, the brand brings HRI’s research to life as something dynamic, collaborative and always in motion.
Problem
Shift perceptions from clinical and institutional to human, innovative and people-powered while strengthening clarity and differentiation.
Solution
A dynamic brand system inspired by the heart, balancing scientific authority with warmth, movement and human connection.
Results
A confident new brand that strengthens trust, connection and belief in HRI’s mission to improve lives through research.
The Challenge
HRI operates in a highly competitive research landscape alongside other well-known cardiovascular organisations. Despite its depth of expertise and global impact, the existing brand did not fully communicate HRI’s progressive research focus, inclusive values or commitment to people at every stage of life.
The visual identity leaned toward a clinical, institutional aesthetic that conveyed credibility but lacked warmth, movement and emotional resonance. This made it harder to express the humanity behind the science and to engage new and emerging audiences alongside long-standing supporters.
The challenge was to create a brand that clearly differentiated HRI while remaining grounded in evidence, credibility and trust, and to do so in a way that felt hopeful, modern and deeply human.
The Solution
Together with HRI, we developed a brand identity inspired by the cardiovascular system itself. Abstract, flowing lines form the core of the visual language, expressing movement, connection and research in motion.
The new tagline, Breaking ground. Healing hearts., brings scientific progress and human impact together in a clear, confident statement. The visual system balances authority with warmth, allowing the brand to feel both credible and deeply human.
Marlin guided the process from early stylescapes through to a refined brand system, including colour, typography, photography and key applications. A streamlined brand book supports consistent use across research, fundraising and public communications, giving HRI teams the tools to carry the brand forward with confidence.
The Results
The refreshed brand positions HRI as a modern research organisation people believe in, want to support and feel genuinely connected to.
Internally, the new identity provides clarity and confidence, giving teams a shared language to express HRI’s purpose and ambition. Externally, the brand strengthens recognition and emotional engagement, helping audiences better understand the role HRI plays in protecting time, health and life itself.
At its core, the new brand reflects HRI’s belief that science is not just about data and discovery, but about people, progress and hope.
