A larger than expected Johnson & Johnson First Aid Cabinet from the early 1900's.

The team's commitment to thorough research and the pursuit of brand saturation led them to the Global Strategic Design Office for Johnson & Johnson in New York City. They had the opportunity to sit down with Rusty Clifton, Design Manager, Topical Health Care to talk all things Band-Aid®. Rusty gave the team a tour of the west side offices and design studios, as well as a walk through the wonderful history of Band-Aid.

A look at some discontinued products from an early first aid kit. Many of the early first aid kits were used by railway surgeons.

Some of the highlights as shared by Mo Saad included the BAND-AID archive, the story of the Red Cross, and the understanding of J&J's commitment to design. The Band-Aid archives are maintained by members of the design management team and are open to anyone in the company. As for the history of the Red Cross, it surprisingly did not start with an emergency response organization, but rather cotton, gauze and adhesive. Clifton explained that the infamous Red Cross graphic started as a symbol representing Johnson & Johnson brands, and only later came to signify emergency response.

The first Band-Aids were cloth strips, which were invented by a Johnson & Johnson employee in the 1920s.

While they were talking with Clifton, the group watched the design studio in action. The studio, started by Chris Hacker about five years ago, is one of the only offices J&J operates in New York City. The role of the office is to make design a competitive advantage across specific J&J brands. J&J's design team is leading the way in developing a better designed brand voice.

A replica of special anniversary packaging celebrating the heritage of the Red Cross graphic.

As an extra bonus, the team was able to photograph the extensive archives of Band-Aid. They had access to products from as early as the 1900s to new products, released this year. Brent Taylor, the Brand Bible photographer set up lights, a back drop and had the opportunity to photograph everything available. When the day was done the team was eager to share their photographs and stories with the rest of the Masters in Branding students at SVA.

Example of a Band-Aid brand line extension meeting the needs within the kitchen.

The complete story of the J&J experience and all the amazing photos, will be featured in Brand Bible, which will be published in early 2012.