UltiGuard SafePack | Brand Refresh & Integrated CampaignUltiMed's flagship pen needle product was the only all-in-one needle-dispensing and sharps-disposal system on the market—but no one knew it. Outdated branding, unclear packaging, and a lack of a distinct visual identity left the product invisible on pharmacy shelves despite being genuinely superior to competitors.
This project transformed UltiGuard from an overlooked product into a boldly branded, pharmacist-recognized system with measurable sales results and a sustained multi-channel campaign.
35% Sales Lift | 5-SKU Product Line | 8 Trade Publications | Multi-Year Campaign
The Challenge
UltiGuard competed in a commoditized pen needle market dominated by a competitor with 80%+ market share. Despite being the only product that combines pen needles and a built-in, FDA-cleared sharps disposal container in one system, the brand wasn't communicating its unique value.
The original packaging (UltiCare Mini Pen Needles) lacked color-based size differentiation, used dense copy that buried the key benefit, and featured a brand name that didn't reflect what made the product special. Pharmacists struggled to quickly identify the correct needle size during dispensing—creating workflow friction that hurt adoption.
The strategic opportunity: the product was genuinely unique. The brand just needed to say so.
The Approach
A complete brand transformation—from naming and packaging architecture to a national multi-year integrated campaign across print, digital, and broadcast media.
Brand Naming & Architecture
Developed UltiGuard SafePack as the new product brand name, integrating the safety & disposal benefit directly into the name. SafePack communicated the all-in-one value proposition at first glance. UltiCare was retained as an endorser brand, maintaining distributor and formulary recognition while elevating the product identity.
Packaging Design System
Designed a color-coding system across all five needle sizes—green (4mm), orange (5mm), purple (6mm), blue (8mm), and pink (12.7mm)—applied consistently across the package label and the individual needles dispensed from the bottom of the container. Pharmacists can now instantly identify the right product at the counter. Size and gauge information was redesigned with large, clear typography as the dominant visual element.
Patient Education Video
Produced a patient-facing video demonstrating the UltiGuard SafePack system in a real home environment—showing how patients dispense new pen needles and safely dispose of used needles. Developed to support pharmacist recommendation conversations, digital channels, and patient engagement at point of dispensing.
Campaign Strategy: Two Distinct Executions
Developed two distinct campaign platforms targeting pharmacists across complementary angles—one focused on pharmacy economics and margin, the other on pharmacist mission and community impact.
Do More With More (2019)—Pharmacy economics message. Led with the margin and revenue benefit to the pharmacy: higher margins, higher revenue, same copay for patients. Direct, business-case-driven messaging for the pharmacist buyer.
Catalyst. Change Agent. You. (2021)—Pharmacist mission message. Elevated the pharmacist's role as a community health leader. Positioned dispensing UltiGuard SafePack as a professional act of purpose—protecting patients, families, children, and pets from needlestick injuries and medical waste. Featured diverse real pharmacists as the campaign talent, representing the breadth of the profession.
Pharmacy Education Video
To drive adoption at the pharmacy level, I developed an educational video targeting dispensing pharmacists—the key decision-makers at the point of sale. The video positioned UltiGuard SafePack as a win-win: patients receive 100 premium pen needles plus an integrated sharps disposal system for the same copay as competing products, while pharmacies benefit from higher margins and increased revenue per transaction. The video was designed to simplify the value proposition for time-pressed pharmacists and give sales teams a scalable tool for distributor and retail pharmacy engagement.
The Result
35% sales lift across the UltiGuard SafePack product line following the rebrand launch.
Significantly improved brand recognition among pharmacists and distributor partners. The color-coding system reduced dispensing errors and earned direct positive feedback from pharmacy customers. The “Catalyst. Change Agent. You.” campaign ran for a full year across eight trade publications and digital channels, sustaining brand awareness throughout 2021.
The rebrand strengthened UltiGuard's competitive positioning as the only all-in-one pen needle and sharps disposal system on the market—and contributed to the company's commercial performance story during two successful private equity transactions.