Reshaping a brand for an organisation which is reshaping UK drug discovery
Medicines Discovery Catapult are a national facility based in the UK, working with businesses, charities, and academics to achieve the common goal of accelerating innovative drug discovery. They played a vital part in the UK’s COVID testing during the pandemic, and continue to do vital work for the UK’s medical landscape. They approached Fluid to create a brand that is as innovative, future-thinking, and community-focused as they are.
MDC came to us with a handful of brand elements, but wanted us to start our thinking from scratch, so that we could capture the true essence of what they do, rather than be guided by their current route.
Following our initial concepts, we knew it was important to build on our ideas in collaboration with those who knew the MDC brand best, so we held a strategy day in which both Fluid and MDC colleagues unlocked the very core of MDC. The strategy day uncovered the fundamental proposition at MDC’s heart: ‘if you have a drug discovery problem, we know how to fix it’. This simple statement, combined with the aspirational understanding that MDC are at the forefront of UK drugs discovery, informed where we took our concepts next.
MDC’s brand had to be dynamic, engaging, and fresh – the pharmaceutical industry is a complex one, with a lot of organisations undertaking very precise, technical work. MDC needed a brand that spoke to scientists, but was also accessible to those without such in-depth expertise, and that conveyed their values and contributions to both groups. We developed a tagline: “Reshaping Discovery Together”, which surmised everything at the core of MDC’s work. Creating and developing new ways to improve the drug discovery pipeline as part of a strong network of organisations across the UK.
Alongside the tagline, we developed a brand that visually represented the way that MDC draw together many aspects of a singular goal, alongside the syndicates and organisations they are connected to.
We delivered a comprehensive set of brand guidelines for MDC, including information on use of logos, their new colour palette, typography and imagery, as well as a series of brand-new design devices that visually evoke the movement, forward-thinking, connectedness and innovation MDC represent.
Since creating their brand, we’ve continued to enjoy a strong relationship with MDC, and have since delivered numerous brand assets including sub-brands, core slide templates, printed collateral, poster templates, and much more, all pulled together by the strength and adaptability of the branding.
“I’ve worked with the team at Fluid for a number of years and I honestly consider them to be an extension of my team. Whether it’s a branding project, an exhibition banner or a corporate video, they bring an enthusiasm and energy that is infectious. They work with our wider company ambitions in mind and constantly push for the best possible outcome for a project.”
Darren Holmes | Marketing & Engagement Operations Lead, Medicines Discovery Catapult