EUREKA! Story of an Impossible Invention

What is the soul of a company, and how can it be described? How can the values and history of a multinational pharmaceutical company such as IBSA be communicated?

By turning on the spotlight and saying ‘action!’. In other words, by entrusting a docu-film with the task of telling the story behind an invention that seemed impossible – levothyroxine in soft capsules – a product that emblematically represents IBSA’s style: creating drugs in the best form, to make them more functional and more closely aligned with people’s needs.

So began the story of a journey into the mystery and creativity of those who transform an intuition into a real solution. It is the story of a technical and human adventure that seemed impossible: creating a “solid liquid” by searching for the perfect formula in a fight with numbers and chemistry.

A TECHNICAL, SCIENTIFIC AND HUMAN JOURNEY

The journey narrated in the 18-minute film highlights two of IBSA's greatest assets.

Technical and scientific: we delved into the various dimensions of the machines, bringing to light hidden and surprising details.
Human value, visible at every level of the company. In a world that fears the domination of robots and artificial intelligence, it is reassuring to discover that the true beating heart of IBSA remains its people: employees who shared their impressions, opened up... and even sang!

This journey also allowed us to retrace the history of the company through the memories and words of Arturo Licenziati, President and CEO of IBSA.

A film narrative that inevitably evoked strong feelings – frustration, hard work, excitement – related to research, early production, regulatory controls and passion for work.

Communication was therefore not only technical, but also emotional, gathering and conveying the emotions of those involved in the business: engineers, technicians and employees.

SCIENCE AND ART, FINALLY TOGETHER

We wanted to convey all this with artistic ambition, going beyond the classic corporate video. We looked for new narrative paths, just as IBSA does in its daily work, in line with its payoff Caring Innovation.

EUREKA! Story of an Impossible Invention

However, we needed a strong idea for the film's narrative. This led to the decision to start with a blank canvas, a sort of dawn of the world. In front of it, in a dreamlike studio, an actress-painter draws, paints, imprints and artistically interprets the story, until it is represented in a single large painting that summarises the technical and human dimensions of IBSA, resulting in a 4 x 2 metre painting. Throughout its history, IBSA has always engaged in dialogue with the arts – just think of the many activities and projects of IBSA Foundation for scientific research. Science and the arts, finally together: the beauty of the arts and the beauty of science in unison.

A DOCU-FILM THAT IS TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD

All this is EUREKA! Storia di un’invenzione impossibile (EUREKA! Story of an Impossible Invention), the docu-film (also available in English) produced in 2024, which we decided to promote last year with a structured distribution strategy.

There are numerous festivals around the world dedicated to corporate and advertising videos, some specifically focused on corporate storytelling. From Cannes to New York, from Italy to the Far East, the film has been – and will continue to be – submitted to the most prestigious festivals, selected on the basis of their ability to embrace and reflect IBSA's values. A trailer has also been created for these nominations, which, in just a few minutes, conveys the tone, spirit and content of the work.

The festival route lends further prestige to the communication strategy and the IBSA brand, connecting it artistically and culturally with the vision of IBSA Foundation and company ownership. It is a symbolic, ennobling strategy that goes beyond pure economic return, which, in this case, is not the main focus.

AN INTEGRATED AND TAILOR-MADE SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

The film, needless to say, was also designed for a social media campaign: it was shared on the company's YouTube and Instagram. To make the video even more accessible, a series of short clips were created from the original content, generating interest, followers, likes, comments and curiosity.

The micro-videos explore two major themes: humans and machines. At a time when the relationship between humans and machines is at the centre of debate – oscillating between enthusiasm and fear – we have proposed a series of short videos dedicated to machines, showcasing the enchantment of certain images: machines can be beautiful, “almost as if they were alive”. We want to generate surprise with new visual perspectives, revealing the hidden soul of machines, their dance, their rhythm, their enigma.

On the human side, however, we have extracted moments of authentic connection: gestures, glances, fragments of daily life that tell the story of work and its meaning. In other cases, the clips offer moments of lightness and entertainment. Each micro-video is accompanied by a slogan or question to stimulate interest and curiosity.

A series of photographs of artistic value has also been taken from the docu-film. It is precisely in this way – through films, social media, festivals, images, painting and stories – that we are giving voice to the soul of IBSA.