Abbott’s NAVICA™ — Taking COVID-19 Testing to a New Level

Abbott’s NAVICA™ — Taking COVID-19 Testing to a New Level

In this critical moment in the pandemic, testing is fundamental to our ability to help facilitate a return to work and school. Lexicon teamed up with Abbott to brand a potentially game-changing testing system. Abbott’s new COVID-19 antigen test and companion NAVICA app allow rapid mass testing and offer secure digital confirmation to restore confidence as communities reopen.

This combination is life-changing technology that will attack the pandemic on critical fronts – speed, simplicity, affordability, access and reliability.

Creating NAVICA™

The Abbott and Lexicon teams knew they needed to move quickly and create a memorable brand that acknowledges the high level of emotion surrounding reopening and the need for peace of mind. NAVICA creates direct associations with movement, offering reassurance that Abbott is helping us navigate daily life in a safer way. Based on Lexicon’s linguistic research, we know that words with classical roots provide a sense of familiarity, safety, and trust – important qualities for a healthcare brand whose success is tied to broad adoption. Leveraging our deep investments in sound symbolism, NAVICA also sounds steady and large, further supporting a secure and reliable testing experience. 

Scaling Up Access to Coronavirus Testing

Abbott plans to produce 50 million rapid 15-minute tests each month at a price of just $5, providing individuals who test negative with a secure digital NAVICA pass allowing safe access to workplaces and schools. The NAVICA app securely displays the results of the COVID test to help reduce the risk of virus spread and increase confidence at places where people tend to gather in large numbers.

“We intentionally designed the BinaxNow test and NAVICA app so we could offer a comprehensive testing solution to help Americans feel more confident about their health and lives,” Abbott president and chief executive Robert Ford said. “BinaxNOW and the NAVICA app give us an affordable, easy-to-use, scalable test, and a digital health tool to help us have a bit more normalcy in our daily lives.”

Read more from Abbott and Forbes.