Cubro

Repositioning a medical tech market leader for international growth

In 1983, the Currie brothers invented a Gib lifter to fit plasterboard to the ceilings of a doctor’s office in Hastings, New Zealand. The doctor was so impressed with their ingenuity, he asked the brothers about other inventions that might support his patients. That question sparked four decades of innovation, supplying hospitals, clinics and care providers across New Zealand with specialised medical and healthcare equipment.

Forty years on, Cubro was ready for its next chapter. Strategic acquisitions had expanded its services, capabilities and product range, and international growth was firmly on the horizon. But the brand hadn’t kept pace. The identity felt dated, the offering fragmented, and internal teams were operating in silos. To compete on a global stage, Cubro needed a clearer, more confident expression of who they had become.

Working closely with Cubro’s leadership over several years, we developed a brand strategy, visual identity and digital experience that stripped away the clutter, sharpened their presentation and unified their language. The new identity became the foundation for a complete redesign of their website, catalogues, marketing materials and social channels—supported by training and templates to empower their in-house team.

Since launching the new brand, Cubro has expanded into Australia and been acquired by global distribution leader Bunzl—marking a decisive step from local innovator to international contender.

Services
Brand strategy
Visual identity
Image library
Marketing collateral
Information architecture
Web design
Motion design
Templates and training

Team
Sam Ashby, Creative Direction and Design
Mike Dorsey, Client Lead
Pep Zuijderwijk, Digital Design
Emma Baker, Photography
Kate Handley, Photography Producer
Freddie Hottinger, Motion Design

An example of cubro's old catalogue designs

Cubro’s previous identity felt long past its use-by date. Garish colours, inconsistent typography and clashing visual styles made the brand feel regional and amateurish—at odds with the quality of its offering.

At the heart of the identity is Cubro’s position at the intersection of two forces: care and innovation

The care circle and innovation square combine to form a unique letterform.

Care is expressed as a magenta circle. Innovation as a blue square. Combined, they form a wordmark that is rounded on the outside and precise on the inside. Human and technical, by design.

The care magenta and innovation blue combine as a gradient to form ultraviolet.

The same logic informs the brand’s primary colour. Care’s magenta and innovation’s blue blend to create Cubro’s signature ‘Ultraviolet’, moving the brand away from the category’s sea of greens and blues into more distinctive, ownable territory.

By baking meaning directly into its form, Cubro’s wordmark becomes a symbol of what the brand stands for—care and innovation, inseparable.

Photography plays a critical role in grounding the brand in humanity

Surgeons operate under Cubro's operating room lights.

A senior woman tries a walker in her living room.

Cubro serves a diverse range of people and settings. From the outset, it was essential the brand reflected both the individuals it supports and the products that improve their daily lives—particularly within aged care.

A senior man takes a stroll in the park using a walker.

Clarity was paramount when communicating a large and highly technical product range

Cubro's catalogue lies open on a stable, showing the design.

The system of quick-reference panels, tags and tables that keep the catalogue organised.

A structured system of icons, quick-reference panels, tags and tables was developed to deliver clear, consistent information across print catalogues and the digital product directory.

The design system at play on printed brochures and ephemera.

The intersection between care and innovation is visually represented as a series of holding shapes, formed from the overlap of the square and circle.

An image depicting the many cover design templates.

To support long-term consistency, Cubro’s in-house design team was equipped with training and a comprehensive suite of on-brand design templates, ready to use and evolve.

Alongside traditional brand guidelines, large-format A1 cheatsheet posters were created as practical, day-to-day tools for the design team.

The palette centres on Ultraviolet, supported by cooler greys that bring clinical precision and restraint—balancing warmth with technical credibility.

A bespoke icon system brings clarity and cohesion to Cubro’s extensive product and service offering.

A senior woman sits contemplating in her room.

The website was rebuilt from the ground up with clarity, usability and scale in mind

Cubro's website open on a laptop at Cubro's office.

A reworked information architecture ensures users can quickly understand Cubro’s services and navigate its extensive product catalogue with minimal friction.