How Ruby Wax’s Frazzled Inspires New Conversations About Mental Health

The saying “laughter is the best medicine” might be a cliche, but as with all overused phrases, there's usually some truth to them.

Studies have proven that a good laugh can do wonders for your body, but it's not just laughter—simply talking things through can also work heal the soul and mind. That’s exactly why comedian and mental health advocate Ruby Wax is on a mission, with the aid of Revolt, to help those feeling "frazzled".

Frazzled is a mental health charity founded by Wax. It provides a safe, non-judgmental space for people to share their feelings and experiences regarding the stresses of modern life. The café hosts various meetings, including large sessions with Wax, smaller facilitated gatherings, and face-to-face discussions, all focused on fostering a supportive community rather than offering therapy or solutions.

In collaboration with Revolt, Frazzled has launched its first major ad campaign since its 2017 inception on World Mental Health Day, featuring a new design and comedic tone that aims to deepen audience connections and make discussions about emotions more approachable.

A Reflection Of Wax's Own Life

This focus on openness and connection mirrors Wax’s own unexpected journey into mental health advocacy. After stepping away from a successful 25-year television career, she was thrust into the spotlight when Comic Relief used her image to promote mental health awareness, featuring her on giant posters across tube stations. This public exposure, while aimed at raising awareness, made her uncomfortable, as she wasn't prepared to be so openly associated with her personal struggles.

Determined to turn this challenge into an opportunity, Wax wrote and performed Frazzled, a show about mental illness. Initially performed in mental health hospitals, the show gained traction and toured internationally, highlighting a universal experience of stress and inadequacy.

Wax’s Frazzled captures the essence of “stress about stress,” a condition exacerbated by modern pressures and unrealistic standards perpetuated by media and social platforms. To address these issues, she founded Frazzled Cafe, a community initiative offering support and mindfulness.

Former M&S CEO Steve Rowe allowed Wax to use the retailer's cafes across the UK as a physical space for the Frazzled Cafe meetings. However, the program shifted online during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a vital space for people to connect and share their experiences.

Wax’s efforts underscore a crucial message: while we’ve advanced technologically, we must also enhance our mental health strategies.

"Frazzled Cafe isn’t therapy, but it’s a space for people to listen and support each other," she explains. "If we’re going to survive and thrive in the future, we need to upgrade our minds just as much as our technology. It’s less about survival of the fittest and more about survival of the wisest."

If those who join the sessions do need further help, Wax and the Frazzled team will advise further help with charities like MIND, CALM and the Samaritans.

Helping Creatives Create

In the high-pressure world of creative industries, stress and burnout are prevalent concerns that can severely impact both personal well-being and professional output. Frazzled offers a novel approach to tackling these issues by fostering a supportive environment where individuals can share their experiences and seek help.

But how does Frazzled fit into the marketing world? Wax explains it's like having a town hall in your workplace.

"We’ve lost that openness", she continues. "You can’t think outside the box if you’re too frazzled; you’ve got brain fog and no nerve. You need people to boost your nerve. Then you can think outside the box because people are so afraid of losing their jobs. That’s why there’s no real creativity in television or original art. There’s too much fear. Maybe you’ll get one or two breakthroughs, but businesses lose their mojo because nobody has the nerve to say, 'I’m going to reinvent this'."

Wax considers the standard business culture and the power of forming a community, questioning who someone goes to when they need a representative who isn't human resources in a culture where no one speaks up for fear of being fired.

"But if everybody's talking, who are you gonna fire? If you don't form a community, then it's every man for himself. And then the shame comes, oh, I'm the only one. But if everybody says, 'Yeah, I think this way too, then that's their strength. That's how a movement happens. It's not one at a time."

She says that the foundation has long-held data that shows that businesses improve from when they begin a Frazzled Call to once it ends.

"So they should take it into business and say, what's the beginning of what's the end? Does your business improve? I bet you it does."

According to the organisation, stress and burnout diminish a person's ability to think creatively and take risks. Frazzled addresses this issue by providing a platform for people to connect with others in similar situations, alleviating stress and renewing inspiration.

Its approach aims to be distinct in its accessibility and focus. It is open to everyone, providing a free and inclusive resource for those feeling overwhelmed before their issues escalate into more serious problems.

Unlike other charities that offer one-to-one support, this is more about the untapped power of the community providing preemptive support to individuals to help them from falling into severe mental health crises.

"It’s a safety net before things get serious," Wax affirms. "People do fall through the cracks. The worst is when they don’t want to get up in the morning, and then you lose that money—or worse, you lose that person.

For creative minds feeling the strain of their demanding roles, her organization also offers a valuable service; by connecting people and allowing them to engage in communal discussions, those individuals can find solace and practical advice. The platform also guides users to additional resources if their needs extend beyond what Frazzled can offer.

A Fresh New Frazzled

For six years, Frazzled Cafe has thrived but to move the brand forward, they leaned to the purpose-first agency, Revolt for a brand refresh.

Revolt is helping Frazzled define a clear purpose, amplify its unique offering, and provide tools for further growth. Frazzled immediately caught the agency's attention because it addresses a significant issue on both personal and broader scales, impacting the UK and beyond.

Emma Lane, senior strategy consultant at Revolt explains how the agency was particularly interested in the broad impact of being frazzled.

"Listening to people discuss their struggles and emotions has been a powerful experience. It highlighted how, despite the plethora of mental health conversations and podcasts, many people still feel they can’t open up or find a space where it’s okay to share." Lane explains.

Revolt’s goal is to assist Frazzled in refining its strategic direction and enhancing its approach for greater growth.

With its rebrand, Frazzled Cafe has undergone a significant evolution. It is no longer tied to the physical café, and that element has been removed entirely—now, it’s known as Frazzled. As the brand’s needs expanded, the agency recognised the necessity of creating an identity that better aligns with its broader ambitions.

With a solid strategy in place and a strong foundation to build on, the agency's designers were able to advance the creative concepts, ensuring that Frazzled’s look and feel authentically reflect its essence. The goal was to establish a deep emotional connection with the audience, consistent across all touchpoints.

One of the initial steps taken by the agency was to conduct early workshops with Frazzled’s team to clearly define what Frazzled is, what it looks like, and what it represents.

Jimmy Ginn, design director at Revolt says, "When starting a branding project, it’s important that we help our clients realise who they really are, and how they communicate. I like to think of this as the brand getting dressed in the morning, there are many outfits, looks and feels to choose from, but only one truly fits, and it’s our job to find it."

The Results

To develop Frazzled’s positioning, Revolt took a close look at the statistics around mental health. 79 per cent of individuals experience stress at least once a month, yet one in three Brits fail to carve out time for conversations about mental health.

Armed with these insights, Revolt crafted Frazzled’s vision: “To create a world where no one feels alone in their feelings.” This vision is encapsulated in a new visual identity designed to dismantle barriers and foster an accessible platform for discussing emotions in a more approachable manner.

The brand redesign includes a reimagined logo featuring ‘shaken up’ characters that symbolize a chaotic state of mind, complemented by a collection of emoji stickers representing various feelings and moods. The bold colour palette spans cool to warm tones, mirroring different mental states: contemplative, energetic, and passionate.

The refreshed identity will make its debut in out-of-home advertising, highlighted by the headline “I’m fine” crossed out and replaced with “I’m frazzled.” This message includes statements like “We all just want to feel like we matter.”

This year’s World Mental Health Day [10 October] theme is ‘Mental Health at Work,’ making it fitting that the campaign features a 60-second film titled ‘Small Talk’ that humorously parodies office water cooler interactions.

The film depicts two stressed colleagues who avoid expressing their true thoughts. Instead of engaging in a genuine conversation, the actors (Will Hislop and Michelle de Swarte) deliver generic dialogue prompts like “Disinterested question about work?” and “Fake laugh!”

Directed by Wax's husband Ed Bye, revered for his work on Red Dwarf, Absolutely Fabulous, and The Vicar of Dibley, the film concludes with Ruby gliding in on a wheelie chair, urging viewers: “Cut the small talk for real talk. Come to Frazzled and you can really let your feelings out.”