The future of the Suture
B. Braun
B. Braun, a leading manufacturer and distributor of medical technology and solutions, launched an ambitious project inviting medical professionals, mostly surgeons, to share their vision of sutures and imagine the suture of the future.
To encourage participation, the communication strategy had to be catchy – and disruptive enough to attract the attention of a target group already saturated with impacts – but it needed a tone in keeping with its identity, serious and professional.
With a question that worked as a creative concept and call to action, a disruptive visual concept, a mix of on-off actions and a totally segmented media plan, we received over 500 proposals and, moreover, the project went viral among professionals.
As part of its celebration of 100 years in the business of manufacturing sterile sutures, B. Braun launched the international competition “The Future of Sutures”, aimed at professionals in the fields of surgery, research and development, as well as creative minds in general, to generate innovative ideas related to surgical wound closure.
B. Braun wanted to work with the participants – from 30 countries – to foster the advancement of sutures, creating a unique and pioneering environment in which to discuss and promote new surgical solutions and techniques. The competition covered different categories, ranging from the choice of suture material to the surface structure and the machining and production process, the shape and design of suture packaging and ideas that meet the needs of medical practitioners.
B. Braun hopes this initiative not only marks a milestone in the future of surgical sutures but also in the future of surgery itself.
Communication
After an exhaustive study of the market, the competition, data and insights, we discovered the surprising methods that have been used throughout history to suture. Over 4,000 years ago, strands were made from animal intestines, which were not only used to close wounds but also for ligatures and to control bleeding.
One of the most striking techniques was the use of ants’ jaws, like today’s staples, but of biological origin. As time went on, various materials were used in different cultures, including silk thread and hair from the horse’s mane and tail.
This important, albeit shocking, information gave us the creative idea for the campaign’s key visual.
We developed an ON-OFF campaign, with inserts in specialist magazines, content on social media and a campaign landing page and a teaser video to capture professional’s attention.