Senior Living Leader Mather LifeWays Changes Name To Mather In Branding Initiative

EVANSTON, Ill., Oct. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mather LifeWays announced this week that its organization name going forward will be Mather. The nearly 80-year-old not-for-profit, based in Evanston, Illinois, serves more than 180,000 people annually, directly and indirectly, through its three areas of service including senior living residences, research institute, and cafés and neighborhood programs. Mather creates opportunities to Age Well, with operations in Illinois, Arizona, and Virginia, and has global impact through its outreach, research, and programs.

"The name Mather evokes our founder Alonzo Mather's unique story as an entrepreneur who lived a life full of possibilities and innovation, inspiring people to do more than they ever thought possible," said Mather CEO and President, Mary Leary. "Rebranding as Mather provides an opportunity to evolve our identity with a fresh look and new story, while retaining brand equity."

As a communications innovator Mather has helped to change the perception of aging, with its marketing strategies earning 117 awards in the last 15 years. Through these successful efforts, Mather has expanded its reach, connecting with the next generation of adults who are redefining life after 50 -- including more than 61,000 followers on social media ? numbers not widely seen in senior living. 

The new identity includes a distinct, contemporary logo with a signature feel that invokes a human touch, while retaining Mather's widely recognized bold orange color, in use since 2004. Mather's new tagline, "Be Nextraordinary^TM" embodies the organization's commitment to surpassing the ordinary, turning everyday moments into extraordinary ones. Graphically, Mather will depict and define Nextraordinary through images that spotlight indescribable moments, bracketing them simply with quotation marks.

This is not the first time that Mather has created language designed to deliberately redefine the senior living space. In 2015, along with LeadingAge, Mather proposed and co-led the renaming of the category Continuing Care Retirement Community to Life Plan Community, and among other changes to the lexicon, at Mather, "retirement" became "Repriorment^TM."

"Brands play a significant role in defining who we are and what we value," said Brenda Schreiber, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Mather. "Creating language and evolving our brand is helping to change the way society views aging. We think that's Nextraordinary."

To learn more about Mather's senior living residences, cafés and neighborhood programs, and research institute, and to watch their branding initiative in action, visit www.mather.com/video.

SOURCE Mather