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GSW Worldwide
Liberating Ideas: Global Agency Brand Evolution
OVERVIEW:
GSW Worldwide (now Syneos Health) is one of the world’s most awarded healthcare advertising agencies, renowned for challenging the clinical "status quo." To solidify its position as a global leader, the agency underwent a comprehensive brand evolution centered on the "Liberating Ideas" philosophy. This mission was designed to move pharmaceutical storytelling away from dry, data-heavy communications toward bold, emotionally resonant narratives that humanize the connection between brands, healthcare providers, and patients.
ROLES:
Art Direction
Graphic & Visual Design
Brand Design
Interactive Design
Environmental Design
INSIGHT:
A premier agency is its own most important client. In high-stakes business development, the agency’s identity serves as the ultimate proof of its creative conviction. The insight for this rebrand was to move beyond a static logo and develop a "living" visual ecosystem.
To secure global acquisitions, every touchpoint—from the lobby of the corporate headquarters to a strategic pitch deck—had to embody the spirit of a "liberator," signaling a radical departure from traditional pharmaceutical marketing..
OBJECTIVE:
As a Brand Designer on the internal marketing team, I was tasked with the development and deployment of a sophisticated global brand system. My role involved establishing a rigorous set of brand guidelines, including an updated color palette, typographic expression, and a curated library of custom photography and illustrations.
I created a robust iconography system and "themed" strategic assets for high-level business development, ensuring the "Liberating Ideas" mantra was seamlessly integrated into print, environmental, digital, and video initiatives.
RESULTS:
The rebrand was a definitive success, culminating in a Gold In-Awe Award for the agency launch brochure. The "Liberators" environmental campaign—featuring iconic figures like Napoleon and Joan of Arc—successfully transformed the brand environment, creating a powerful physical manifestation of the agency’s DNA.
By providing a unified, high-performance toolkit, the initiative bolstered brand equity and streamlined global operations, proving that a disciplined yet creative brand library is the primary engine for agency growth and international acquisition.
