NEW YORK (January 25, 2013) – Actavis has unveiled a new logo and visual system created by Lippincott, a global brand strategy and design firm.  The identity represents the merging of Watson Pharmaceuticals and Actavis, which is now the world's third-largest generics manufacturer. The strategy behind the new visual system was to leverage the heritage of both brands under a unified identity and culture that would signal an expanded vision for the future of its business as an emerging leader of the global specialty pharmaceutical market.

The transition to a new identity was driven by Watson’s acquisition of Actavis, which was completed in October 2012, and by the company’s increasing ability to deliver integrated solutions on a global scale in the brand, biologics and generics markets.

According to Michael D’Esopo, senior partner at Lippincott, “We knew the new identity had to signal internally the adoption of a shared culture and set of values and externally a broader definition of what the business had become.  Creating a dynamic and strong visual system was our opportunity to do both.”
The new icon in the logo speaks to the company's fast-evolving business, as well as its dynamic culture.  A close look reveals a ‘W’ shape emerging from a shaded ‘A,’ a subtle historical reference to the Watson heritage and acquisition of Actavis.  The color stands out in the universe of pharmaceutical industry competitors and reflects growth — a fundamental foundation for Actavis and its future — and a commitment to be an environmentally responsible company.

The result is a new, powerful and accessible visualization that celebrates Actavis' emergence as a global pharmaceutical leader, and visually defines its focus on growth and success in the future.

“When we engaged Lippincott to help create a new logo and visual identity for our global company, we established an aggressive timeline – from concept to finished logo in only four months,” said Charlie Mayr, chief communications officer of Actavis.  “The Lippincott team of experts joined us in an exceptional partnership that helped ensure our new identity was dramatic, and approachable yet captured the power of our newly expanded global company.  We could not have asked for a more results-focused approach, or a committed team of professionals.  The power of the new visual system and logo speaks to the power of Lippincott’s exceptional skill and ability to partner with its clients to deliver, regardless of time constraints.”

Lippincott’s extensive research process included engaging with management teams from both companies while simultaneously analyzing a core set of pharmaceutical and health industry peers to identify opportunities to introduce a differentiated brand vision. After careful consideration, the team also recommended an adoption of the Actavis name given it was well known in many key markets, and available to use in all jurisdictions where the newly combined company operates.

Taking inspiration and insights from a deeper understanding of the distinctive and complementary elements of each company, the newly unified logo and visual system was developed.

“We designed the organic-looking helix to speak to a fast-evolving business, and predominantly used green and a single, strong typeface, to streamline the disparate look of the two original companies,” said Rodney Abbot, senior partner at Lippincott. “The result is a bold new identity and visual system that announces to investors, customers, partners and employees that Actavis is a stronger, more diverse, and fully global company.”

About Actavis
Actavis, Inc. (NYSE: ACT) is a global, integrated specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and distributing generic, brand and biosimilar products.  The Company has global and U.S. headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey, USA, and international headquarters in Zug, Switzerland.

Actavis is the world's third-largest generics prescription drug manufacturer.  Operating as Actavis Pharma, the Company develops, manufactures and markets generic, branded generic, legacy brands and Over-the-Counter (OTC) products in more than 60 countries.  The Company is ranked in the top 3 in 12 global markets, the top 5 in 16 global markets, and in the top 10 in 33 global markets.   Actavis Pharma also develops and out-licenses generic pharmaceutical products outside the U.S. through its Medis third-party business, the world's largest generic pharmaceutical out-licensing business. Medis has more than 300 customers globally, and offers a broad portfolio of more than 200 products.

Actavis Specialty Brands is the Company's global branded specialty pharmaceutical business, which develops and markets a portfolio of approximately 40 products principally in the United States and Canada that are focused in the Urology and Women's Health therapeutic categories.  Actavis Specialty Brands is committed to developing and marketing biosimilars products in Women's Health, Oncology and other therapeutic categories, and currently has a portfolio of 5 biosimilar products in development.

Actavis Global Operations has more than 30 manufacturing and distribution facilities around the world, with a capacity of approximately 40 billion units annually.  Actavis Global Operations also includes Anda, Inc., the fourth-largest U.S. generic pharmaceutical product distributor in the United States.

About LIPPINCOTT
Lippincott is a leading brand strategy and design firm with a 70-year heritage crafting authentic stories, memorable experiences and winning strategies for the world’s most iconic brands.  Its expertise spans all aspects of brand building including strategy, identity design, experience innovation and activation. The firm uniquely combines business-based strategic thinking and creative excellence to solve complex challenges facing corporations today as they shape their brands for the future. Recent clients include 3M, Delta Air Lines, Hyatt, Infiniti, Samsung, Starbucks and Walmart. Lippincott is part of Oliver Wyman, a global professional services organization owned by Marsh & McLennan Companies.

For more information:
Heather Stern
heather.stern@lippincott.com
212.521.5129

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