The work is an example of creative thinking applied in a sector (biotech) where design has been historically overlooked. It also showcases how design can be used to bring complex scientific concepts to life, and make them tangible for a wider audience. Within this work, design is used to translate abstract scientific concepts into meaningful metaphors that a non-scientific audience can understand.

Replay currently has four genome therapy products in market. These technologies will be used by biotech, pharmaceutical and medical companies to develop breakthrough drugs. Its targeted oncology product, Syena, is currently carrying out patient trials for cell-therapies for multiple myeloma.

Replay wanted to make an impact in the biotech sector, which is typically a cold, hyper-scientific and generally unbranded space dominated by a few large players. This is particularly important when attracting both Venture funding and prospective talent.

It was also necessary to underscore the real-world human impact of their work and bring a familiar sense of humanity to abstract concepts. This is particularly important given that, in the public consciousness, genome therapy is poorly understood and often feared.

Brief: A brand strategy, creative identity and website for Replay.

Objectives: Replay had been operating in start-up mode, without any visible branded elements. We were asked to define Replay’s brand strategy (vision, mission, value proposition), then develop a full visual brand identity. This included a suite of illustrations (both technical and team portraits), motion assets and a full website build.

Budget: Brand Strategy & Visual Identity — £114,000

Website Design & Build — £95,000

We wanted to capture the endless exploration and authorship of new, more complex genomes integral to Replay’s methodology. We were particularly inspired by the name ‘Replay’ and the quote from evolutionary biologist Stephen Gould: ‘Replay the tape a million times…and I doubt that anything like Homo Sapiens would ever evolve again.’

When working with the Replay team they described the human genome as ‘life’s greatest puzzle.’ This sense of humans replaying the tape again and again until the genetic puzzle is solved proved to be our inspiration. We felt it would be compelling for a scientific audience keen to work at the frontier of genetic discovery, while also inspiring comprehension and wonder in the general population.

This thinking came together in our brand strategy:

Vision (why?): Authoring the future of genomic medicine

Mission (what?): Reprogram biology by writing and delivering Big DNA

Brand idea (creative inspiration): Solving life’s greatest puzzles

The new visual identity centers on the idea of reprogramming biology to solve life’s greatest puzzles. Firstly the logo constantly moves and regenerates, “reprogramming” itself over and over. Taking direct influence from the name ‘Replay’, it’s an infinite logo for a business with evolution at its heart. The biological, cellular forms of the logo are complemented by a softer illustration system that comes from the human hand, with a direct reference to the idea of ‘authorship’ set out in the brand’s vision. Highly detailed, hand drawn, beautifully coloured illustrations of cellular matter are unique in the sector. They’re further complimented by hand-drawn illustrations of the Replay team members created by illustrator Uli Knörzer. These have been animated into a set of puzzle pieces that shift but never fully resolve, in a direct reflection of the central brand idea.

With a full suite of both technical and team illustrations, plus a new website and brand story, we’ve equipped the Replay team with everything they need to stand out as they make their mark in biotech. The new brand helped them launch to great acclaim in the summer of 2022 with an incredible $55m in seed funding. Since then, Replay has launched four targeted products targeting congenital eye and skin conditions, and various tumor types, and begun its first patient trials. Replay has succeeded in recruiting board members, advisors, and employees from prestigious universities like MIT, Stanford, and Harvard. Additionally, it has made a broad impact within the biotech sphere by entering into R&D partnerships with other companies to accelerate clinical trials.