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Impact Stories: Ten years on from FutureBrand’s radical Merck rebrand (2015)

When Merck unveiled its new identity in 2015, at a leadership summit in Berlin, more than 300 of the company’s senior managers rose to their feet in a standing ovation.

Created with FutureBrand, it was an unusually radical departure for a company of Merck’s scale and heritage, signalling its ambition to be seen not as a conservative pharmaceuticals giant, but as a modern science and technology innovator.

Ten years on, the identity has not only endured, it still feels contemporary alongside the new wave of health and biotech brands.

A singular vision

By the early 2010s, Merck faced an identity crisis. Despite pioneering breakthroughs across healthcare, life science and performance materials, its image was lost in what FutureBrand describes as a “sea of sameness.”

The company had grown globally through acquisitions, creating a patchwork of sub-brands and competing cultures, with even employees struggling to articulate what Merck stood for.

The before and after of the Merck visual identity

Clare-Louise Smith, managing director of FutureBrand New York, recalls: “There were two clear challenges. Firstly, Merck had a strong need to stand out among a sea of sameness.

“And secondly, the company had a history of doing remarkable things… but no-one really knew about those discoveries or attributed them to Merck.”

Merck’s then-CEO, Karl-Ludwig Kley, believed a radical brand could crystallise the company’s transformation into a global science and tech player. Drawing on his experience at Lufthansa, he pushed for a change that would make Merck’s shift visible, tangible and unmissable.

Designing the leap

FutureBrand’s London team were briefed to create something that would “most likely polarise opinion.” They began with an unusual approach, taking a week of ideation with no computers. During that time, they found inspiration in the microscopic world.

“If science is so incredible and vibrant and Merck does such exciting and groundbreaking work, why does it look so dull?” one strategist asked. Looking at shapes, colours and textures under the microscope gave rise to an identity built on vibrancy and movement, which was a sharp break from the clinical blues and greys of industry peers.

FutureBrand’s new visual identity for Merck

Simon Hill, now president of FutureBrand North America, says: “We knew that we had to create something different – a total departure from what existed – because, in order to stand out and win, they needed something radical.

“The Merck team were phenomenal: they gave us the freedom to be bold and deliver a breakthrough look and feel that reflected their past, present and future.”

The new system, centred on “Vibrant Science and Technology,” combined an expressive visual language with the structure to unify Merck’s fragmented brand architecture.

The big reveal

Even the launch strategy was developed to match the new daring nature of the brand. Rather than opening debate across divisions, the rebrand was kept under wraps until a single reveal to the top 300 leaders.

“The reaction was incredibly strong, and many still say it was one of the most impactful events of their careers,” recalls Katrin Menne, head of brand and content marketing at Merck.

Externally though, reactions were polarised. In Germany in particular there was some early scepticism, with people balking at its unconventionality.

Competitors also mocked the look at first (though some have arguably imitated aspects of it in the years following) and Business Insider even listed Merck’s new logo among the most controversial redesigns of 2015, calling it “bizarre and off-brand”.

Built to last

Ten years on, what makes the Merck brand notable is not only its radical launch but its longevity. The identity remains intact, and stakeholders credit that endurance to both vision and flexibility.

“The brand was so visionary. If you make a bold leap forward, it lasts. Gradual changes often don’t,” says Menne. The design system was created with elasticity and the ability to dial up vibrancy for technology and dial it down for sensitive areas such as cancer care, without losing coherence.

FutureBrand’s new visual identity for Merck

That adaptability has supported Merck’s business strategy over the decade. The brand helped formalise its positioning as a science and tech company, underpinned M&A activities, and flexed to support business unit shifts, such as the renaming of Performance Materials to Electronics.

Menne even suggests the brand “feels like it was made for AI” despite predating the current wave of technology.

Evidence of impact

For any rebrand, proof of value lies in outcomes. In Merck’s case, both internal and external measures point to lasting impact.

In a 2019 study carried out by Merck, 80% of new hires said the brand had a strong or very strong influence on their decision to apply. Recruiters reported that candidates brought up the brand unprompted, which had never happened before.

Research conducted in 2016, and again in 2022, showed significant improvements in reputation among professionals in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Similarly, advocacy, favourability and familiarity all increased, while trust rose by 17%, according to Merck.

Financial performance has also been robust. Merck’s net sales have nearly doubled since the rebrand, reaching €21.3 billion in the 12 months ending March 2025, compared with just over €11 billion in the year before the launch.

FutureBrand’s new visual identity for Merck

Externally, Merck’s reputation has been reinforced by third-party rankings. The company is consistently listed among the world’s most valuable pharma brands by Brand Finance, and it ranked seventh globally in the 2024 Access to Medicine Index, performing above average in all technical areas.
Lessons in (brand) chemistry

The Merck case demonstrates three lessons for corporate branding. First, that bravery pays off – its seemingly polarising design galvanised the organisation and set it apart in saturated markets.

Secondly, adaptability matters, and systems built with flexibility can span diverse sectors, geographies and timeframes.

And thirdly, brand is culture. The most successful rebrands give people a shared language, not just a new logo.

Simon Hill says the project taught FutureBrand a lesson in conviction. “Now whenever I’m standing in front of a board with a strategy and visual identity I firmly believe in, I’m much more comfortable with saying ‘This might not be what you had in mind, but it’s what you need’.”

A vibrant legacy

A decade after its launch, Merck’s identity remains distinctive, modern and culturally resonant, which is still a rarity in corporate branding. According to Merck, employees remain proud and leaders continue to see it as transformative. There’s also no doubt the numbers support its impact.

Too often brands will err on the side of caution, yet Merck’s willingness to embrace a radical departure has become its greatest strength. Menne is confident when she says that if she were rebranding today, she would “absolutely do it the same way again.”

For FutureBrand, and for the wider design community, the Merck case shows that risky rebrands done right just might redefine the benchmark for an entire sector. Whatever Business Insider might say…

FutureBrand’s new visual identity for Merck
FutureBrand’s new visual identity for Merck
FutureBrand’s new visual identity for Merck

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“Do we still believe in purpose-driven brands?”

Back in the 2010s, purpose-driven branding was everywhere. People felt good about slipping on TOMS, believing in the one-for-one promise to give shoes to a child in need. Always turned an insult into empowerment with its #LikeAGirl campaign, scooping Cannes’ top award and headlines across the globe.

Purpose wasn’t just fashionable; it was the future of marketing.

That was then. Today, the world has become more sceptical, distrustful and uncertain. And with it comes consumer fatigue over grandiose promises. Those beacons of purpose have dimmed.

TOMS still gives back, but the impact is now hidden behind the last button on its website, and Starbucks’ Race Together campaign proved how quickly good intentions can backfire when they feel misplaced or inauthentic.

It’s not that consumers no longer care about climate change, fairness, or diversity. They absolutely do. But they’ve stopped taking brands at their word.

Purpose, once inspiring, too often feels like spin.

The Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report 2025 warns that brands are falling into the trap of “trust-washing,” making inflated claims of impact that consumers increasingly see as hollow. More than half now dismiss such claims as marketing spin, while 53% believe brands are outright dishonest about their societal contribution (Edelman 2025).

Edelman also found that 71% of global consumers trust companies less than they did a year earlier. Academic research reaches the same conclusion: authentic purpose builds credibility, but “woke-washing” does not just miss the mark, it actively destroys trust (Journal of Business Research, 2024).

People are tired of empty promises. They don’t want to be told anymore. They want the receipts.

Proof, not posture

Purpose isn’t dead, but the performance of it is.

The purpose-driven brands cutting through today aren’t the loudest, they’re the ones who are following through and willing to embrace uncomfortable truths over wishful thinking. Where the promise is tangible, pragmatic, and felt in the product, the service, or the experience. And it’s still commercially smart.

Harvard Business Review reports that 58% of organisations with a clear and strong purpose experienced more than 10% growth over three years, compared to those without.

“Purpose, once inspiring, too often feels like spin.”

Patagonia is perhaps the clearest example. Its purpose runs through every fibre of the brand, from the products it makes, to the way it runs its supply chain, to the cultural decisions it takes as a business.

The now-famous “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad wasn’t a slogan. It was creative that was as bold as its message of real action to discourage overconsumption. It resonated because it was proof-led, not posture-led, delivered with confident, powerful design.

And recently, Lush showed the same kind of conviction. The retailer closed its stores for a day in protest at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a move that went far beyond marketing and into the realm of real sacrifice.

Whatever you think of the stance itself, it was a rare example of a brand acting in line with its values, not just talking about them.

This is the new reality. The old purpose branding of lofty campaigns and poetic slogans is dead. What lives is purpose you can touch, see, and believe in.

Creativity creates belief

Creativity isn’t a replacement for proof, but it is the force that ensures proof gets noticed. Design transforms delivery into distinction, ensuring action isn’t invisible but impossible to ignore.

We’ve seen this first-hand in our recent work with Big Hug Brewing. For years, UK craft beer brand supported causes like Only A Pavement Away and YMCA DownsLink Group, but this impact risked fading into the background with a design that failed to communicate its purpose in a clear and consistent way.

JDO’s work for Big Hug Brewing

When Big Hug set its ambition to become a 100% positive impact business, it knew that good intentions weren’t enough. Getting the rebrand and messaging right was crucial.

We worked with Big Hug to articulate its promise to “brew for better, for people and planet” and create belief in that promise with a brand design that was bold, witty, and full of character, but also crystal clear. The new ‘World Hug’ logo, vibrant design world, and standout packaging didn’t just refresh the look. They made the purpose tangible.

The result is a brand that isn’t just talking about change but showing it, in a way drinkers can instantly connect with.

The new rules of purpose

If you’re a brand with purpose, here are three things that matter:

Proof over posture. Make purpose meaningful to consumers’ reality.
Creativity is your amplifier. Be confident. Be bold. Be clever.
Better by being brand-led. The stronger the link to product and positioning, the greater the belief in your promise.

In a time when the world itself feels low on purpose, brands that truly deliver social and ecological difference are the ones breaking through.

Creativity’s role is not to spin the story, but to make the proof unmistakable so people believe.

Ben Sillence is head of strategy at JDO UK.

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