UTMB rebrand earns widespread recognition for comprehensive brand transformation

Less than a year after unveiling its refreshed brand identity, The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) has earned recognition across healthcare, higher education, branding, marketing, and communications competitions, receiving 10 awards that recognize both the strategy behind the initiative and the work required to bring it to life.

The honors span brand strategy, integrated marketing, healthcare and higher education rebranding, internal communications, logo design, and the overall body of work behind the effort, reflecting the breadth of a project that touched nearly every aspect of the institution.

More than a visual refresh, the rebrand was designed to create a unified identity across the clinical, academic, and research missions at UTMB while positioning the institution for continued growth. The initiative introduced a new visual identity, a refreshed messaging framework, and the brand promise, "Where Purpose Meets Passion," all rooted in extensive research and stakeholder engagement.

The effort sought to strengthen recognition and consistency across the institution, modernize the UTMB identity, improve the experience for patients, students, employees, and partners, and better reflect the organization UTMB has become while honoring its 135-year legacy.

One of the campaign's most notable recognitions came from the AVA Digital Awards, which presented UTMB with a Platinum Award, its highest level of recognition, for the Strategic Communications and Branding team's body of work on the rebrand.

Rather than recognizing a single campaign or creative element, the award honored the collective effort to research, develop, launch, and implement a new brand across a complex academic health system.

That work included market research and stakeholder engagement; development of a refreshed visual identity and messaging framework; creation of a new logo and brand promise; advertising and digital campaigns; a brand film; websites; employee communication resources; training and educational materials; and a comprehensive system of brand standards and tools designed to support adoption across the institution.

In May, the rebrand was also recognized locally with a prestigious Crystal Award from the Houston Chapter of the American Marketing Association.

The breadth of the initiative also earned recognition from the TITAN Brand Awards, TITAN Health Awards, Hermes Creative Awards, and the Aster Awards. Together, the honors recognize excellence in branding, integrated marketing, design, employee engagement, and healthcare communications.

For UTMB, the awards serve as external validation of an initiative that required collaboration well beyond the UTMB Office of Strategic Communications and Branding, including partnerships with UTMB Events, Development, Design & Construction, and Business Operations & Facilities among many others.

"From the beginning, this was about much more than a new logo," said Stephen Hadley, vice president of Marketing and Media Relations in the Office of Strategic Communications and Branding. "It was about creating a unified identity that reflects the extraordinary work happening across UTMB and provides a foundation for our future growth.

"These awards recognize not only the strategy and creative work behind the rebrand, but also the countless hours contributed by employees and partners across the institution who have helped bring the brand to life and continue implementing it every day."

While the brand was officially unveiled on Dec. 2, 2025, implementation continues across the campuses, hospitals, and clinics at UTMB. Teams are systematically updating signage, printed materials, digital platforms, wayfinding systems, apparel, and other brand touchpoints to create a more consistent and recognizable experience for patients, employees, students, and community partners.

The recognition underscores both the quality of the creative work and the scale of the transformation, which sought to unite healthcare, education, research, and innovation enterprises under a single, cohesive UTMB brand.

UTMB Rebrand Awards

AVA Digital Awards

• Platinum: Team's Body of Work Achievement on Rebranding

TITAN Brand Awards

• Gold: Education Institution Rebranding
• Gold: Healthcare Rebranding

TITAN Health Awards

• Gold: Integrated Marketing - Brand Transformation/Repositioning
• Gold: Integrated Marketing - Rebranding

Hermes Creative Awards

• Gold: Strategic & Integrated Campaigns - Branding Refresh/Rebrand Campaign
• Gold: Branding Campaign

Houston Chapter of the American Marketing Association Crystal Award

• Logo Design

Aster Awards

• Gold: Best Internal Advertising Campaign
• Gold: Best Logo Design