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Death Deserves a Rebrand

Illustrations by Sienna Zadro: bysienazadro
Could the end-of-life category have a greater role to play beyond cliche, coporate condolences?
I vividly remember my introduction to death. I was seven years old, and my babysitter had let me stay up late while she watched an episode of Scrubs. Titled ‘My Overkill’, it starred Colin Hay from the iconic band Men at Work. 

In a short musical montage (set to Hay’s song ‘Overkill’), I followed Hay's character from diagnosis to heart attack to dying—and although he was declared dead, his blue corpse was still strumming the guitar as he was pushed into the morgue refrigeration unit. The nightmares that followed lasted years, and the scene became the catalyst for my anxiety around death.
So in order to deal with my own fears of mortality I do what most of us do: try to avoid thinking about death altogether. But unfortunately, dying is inevitable. And after losing someone close to me, I had to confront not only the grief, but also the commerce that surrounds death. From life insurance to funeral directors, cancelling accounts and the long process of probate, the admin around death can be all consuming.

As I interacted with countless brands that promised “we’re here for you”, while doing very little to prove how, it became glaringly obvious how disconnected the category surrounding death feels. 

During a time that is deeply vulnerable and individualised, brands in this category feel intentionally impersonal—fulfilling an expected archetype that is smooth and inoffensive, and offers safety at arm’s length. Often, this means avoiding mention of death itself, and using language such as ‘meaningful farewells’, ‘a long goodbye’ and ‘life’s heaviest moment’ instead.

Given that dying is the only guarantee in life, you’d expect us to have found a more open way of talking about it. But the reality is that we are woefully unprepared for the end of life—in fact, 52% of Australians on average are dying without having made a will (Willed), and only 36% are registered as organ and tissue donors, even though the majority of us support donations (DonateLife Australia).

But even the end-of-life category itself struggles to address the complex reality of death and the intensity of grief. Across the board, you’ll find messages offering ‘strength’, ‘compassion’ and ‘support’, coupled with images of loved ones hugging or footprints fading in the sand. Most brands position themselves as sympathetic, beige, maternal and traditional.

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An evolving afterlife  

Despite how impersonal death-related brands can be, there’s a growing need for the exact opposite. As many Australians move away from institutional religion—and 10 million Aussies report having no religion (ABS 2022)—our needs and expectations around death and dying are shifting. For many, there is no longer a ritual roadmap for mourning, and brands have a far more important role to play in guiding people through the process than ever before.

That said, the industry is evolving. New options are allowing people to make end-of-life decisions that better reflect their values and ideologies.

As an alternative to burials, cremations are on the rise. One step further, aqua cremations and green burials are becoming increasingly popular as more eco-friendly solutions. Memorialising has become more tangible and personal: ashes are being infused into tattoo ink, or turned into diamonds. End-of-life doulas are playing a vital role in supporting individuals through death, and their loved ones through grief. And organisations like Death Cafe are bringing communities together over coffee and cake to openly discuss death and dying.
Illustrations by Sienna Zadro: bysienazadro