[WORK]

IDSA

From a pragmatic membership organisation, to an industry leader that’s always on the case.
For over 60 years, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has advocated for the field of infectious diseases and supported the work of a global community of specialists, researchers and students. 

However, with a conservative identity and no clear voice, IDSA’s brand didn’t reflect the significance of the field, the scale of the organisation, or the diversity of their global community. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we set out to magnify the curiosity, compassion and impact of their 13,000+ members, to prove that IDSA are on the case.
Despite the interesting and impactful work of ID specialists, the field remained undervalued and overlooked. As students opted for higher paid specialties and mistrust in science spread, IDSA needed to not only represent their members, but make the world recognise the indisputable impact of ID.

With an identity described by the client as ‘pre-internet’, IDSA needed a unified brand that would position them as an industry authority, allow them to advocate for their members, and make the world recognise the indisputable impact of infectious diseases.
A disparate ‘pre-internet’ identity
After 4 workshops, 210 surveys, 60+ conversations and a trip to IDWeek in Boston, it was clear IDSA’s greatest strength was the commitement, compassion and curiosity of their members.  Taking their shared fascination with problem solving and reputation as ‘disease detectives’, we turned their curious spirit into a collective rallying call. From tracking outbreaks to advancing health equity – IDSA are on the case.

[BRAND IDEA]

ON THE CASE

With the brand strategy as their foundation, IDSA was able to make a more compelling case for the value of ID. A flexible masterbrand approach  unified their diverse activities into a cohesive system – one that captured the scale and significance of the organisation. 

We transformed the community’s curiosity into a cohesive system, using tools and techniques from the field to magnify the impact of their members and elevate the challenges they were working to solve. Tapping into their appreciation for problem solving, language replicates the investigative nature of ID and takes subtle cues from the conventions of mystery novels—a genre that drew many to the field. 

With this new brand, IDSA is equipped to face the challenges of the future and remind the world that they always have been, and always will be, on the case.