UNODC Synthetic Drug Strategy

The synthetic drug crisis is evolving faster than global responses. To meet this challenge, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched its landmark Synthetic Drug Strategy in 2021. Fat Rat Films was brought in to translate complex policy into clear, compelling content, designing a bold new brand identity and a suite of multilingual digital assets that helped the Strategy stand out on the world stage. The results? A distinctive visual identity adopted across the campaign, hundreds of thousands of views on flagship materials, and a global conference where our designs became the Strategy’s most recognisable face.

Key outcomes

90-second animated explainer shared at the global launch
Branded assets adopted across all SDS materials and events
Content translated into five UN languages
Featured at the global UNODC launch event on Synthetic Drug Strategy and all SDS events since
Hundreds of thousands of combined page views

Challenge and approach

Challenge
The UNODC needed to launch a high-stakes, high-impact global initiative but the subject matter was complex, data-heavy, and at risk of being overlooked. With competing international priorities and urgent timelines, they needed more than just a report. They needed a bold identity and engaging, flexible content to deliver their message with clarity and confidence and ensure accessibility across platforms, formats, and languages.

Approach
We worked closely with the Laboratory and Scientific Services team (LSS) to develop a distinctive, unified visual identity for the Strategy including a custom colour palette, typography, logo and illustration style, all designed to convey urgency, credibility and clarity. From there, we produced a complete suite of branded content designed for maximum engagement across platforms and audiences:

A downloadable PDF version of the Executive Summary
A fully immersive, interactive microsite
A 90-second animated explainer screened at the launch event
Data visualisations and illustrations aligned with the brand system
A printed leave-behind booklet designed to spotlight the four Spheres of Action
Social media assets including GIFs, stills and motion graphics
Event collateral: branded posters, pull-up banners, and digital signage
A comprehensive brand book to ensure consistency going forward

All materials were translated into five official UN languages, ensuring global reach and accessibility.

Watch the animated explainer

Impact

The visual identity and content suite launched in tandem with the global Strategy and quickly became its public face. The animation opened the UNODC’s global Synthetic Drug Strategy launch event and was played in the main hall of the UN’s HQ in Vienna, while the branded materials shaped the look and feel of the entire campaign, from the conference floor to social media.

Crucially, the strategy’s core messages were now accessible in a range of formats from policy briefings to public awareness tools with all content unified under one visual system. By combining clarity with credibility, we wanted for the Strategy to cut through the noise, giving the UNODC a powerful foundation to mobilise global action.

Asma Fakhri I Coordinator I UNODC Opioid Strategy

"“Your passion and excellent delivery makes us shine to our most important stakeholders and for that I can’t thank you enough. Not to mention, it’s one heck of a fun ride working with all of you.”"