Every year, millions of babies are born too small, too soon or with medical complications that put their lives at risk. The Small Vulnerable Newborn Consortium brings together leading researchers to strengthen the evidence base for interventions that improve survival and long-term health outcomes. To support this global effort, The Lancet launched its landmark series on small vulnerable newborns at the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference in Cape Town in 2023. Rewire partnered with Tampere University and The Lancet to create the Consortium’s brand identity and campaign design for its public launch.
The challenge was to create an identity that reflected scientific credibility while remaining accessible to diverse audiences—from researchers and clinicians to policymakers and development partners. The visual language also needed to work consistently across conference materials, scientific publications, digital communications and future Consortium activities.
We developed a complete visual identity for the Consortium, from logo and colour system to typography and iconography. Designed to engage a global audience at the Cape Town launch and beyond, the identity balanced scientific rigour with clarity, creating a visual system that feels authoritative within academic settings while remaining accessible to broader public health audiences. Alongside the identity, we also created the cover illustration for The Lancet series.
Turning research into accessible content
For the Cape Town conference, we developed a social media package that translated the series’ most important findings into clear, engaging content that could be quickly understood and shared. The assets highlighted risk factors, clinical thresholds and emerging interventions while encouraging researchers, practitioners and partners to join the Consortium’s work.
Together, the identity and campaign assets established a recognisable visual presence for the Consortium, helping launch a new global collaboration around one of the most pressing challenges in maternal and newborn health.
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