Case
Novartis
Transforming a global pharmaceutical leader from unknown to unmistakable.
Novartis had won more FDA approvals than any pharmaceutical company in 25 years, and most people had never heard of it. A string of rebrands hadn't stuck. After spinning off its generics business to focus on innovative medicine, it needed a brand its own leaders believed in and was a reflection of its business.
Inflection
Novartis didn’t need a new identity, the answer was in its archives and the soul of the company. A company that had pioneered Swiss Design, communicated with a witty, clever tone and once believed science was an art and that good design was good business. That philosophy never left. Decades of mergers had buried it.
Insight
Impact
For the first time, the CEO and senior leadership saw themselves in the brand. Among stakeholders Novartis saw a +19 point lift in brand sentiment. 84% of stakeholders called the new identity modern, bold and innovative and 80% called it unique in the category. Immediately after the rebrand, it was a top-ranked pharmaceutical brand in the 2026 World's Simplest Brands study, just behind Lilly.
Brand Strategy . Corporate Positioning . Qualitative Research . Brand Narrative . Brand Architecture . Executive Immersions . Brand Identity . Brand Guidelines . Brand Campaign
Case film script except
written by: Jamie
“What if I told you
That one of the world’s boldest design pioneers...
A company that reimagined how the world experienced color…
how product packaging was designed…
how Swiss design could influence the world over…
…Was actually one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies?
Who believed science was an art
whose 250 years of curiosity, imagination and divergent thinking
shaped human health as we know it
And yet
is largely unknown today
lacking a clear and distinct identity
This wasn’t just a brand identity challenge
it was a chance to reignite a legacy
to build a brand as breakthrough as its medicines
and once again be known as the courageous pioneer
that’s defying odds and changing lives
We didn’t create a new brand, we reimagined its heritage
We looked back to move forward
And created an identity that is ownable and unmistakable
Confident, precise and structured
Warm, simple and dynamic
A convergence of human warmth and scientific curiosity
an exhibition of transformation, breakthroughs and the art of scientific discovery
Every element, considered
Every detail, deliberate
Reimagined to amplify the next 250 years of fearless inquiry
and scientific pursuit for a better world
This is Novartis
where a shift in perspective sparks new possibilities
where we reimagine medicine—together
where once again good design equals good business
The most creative healthcare company in history