“Blue turns red” wins the German Brand Award 2026

We have won the German Brand Award 2026 for our client Johnson & Johnson MedTech in the category “Excellence in Brand Strategy and Creation > Brand Design – Corporate Brand”. The jury recognised the comprehensive brand transition that we developed and implemented for Johnson & Johnson MedTech.

The starting point was the transformation of the established Abiomed brand into the new Johnson & Johnson MedTech brand world and its Heart Recovery business. The communication challenge was to make a complex transition visible quickly, clearly and consistently – for employees, applicants, healthcare professionals, partners and the public in Aachen and the EUREGIO.

The strategic idea was radically simple: “Blue turns red.”

The shift from the familiar Abiomed blue to Johnson & Johnson red became an immediately understandable visual signal for the entire transformation. The new brand presence was visible across all relevant touchpoints – at the Aachen site, in public spaces, on campus, in sport and across digital channels.

From the lighting installation on the company building and branded ASEAG buses to digital out-of-home advertising, university activations and a central landing page, a consistent brand presence made the transition clear and built trust in the new brand world.