Eli Lilly: A Medicine Company

2023–2024

Design System
Graphic Identity

*This work is confidential in nature and cannot be shared publicly. Please contact me for more information.*

Health is everything. It's why Eli Lilly & Company makes medicines—to give people a better chance at a better life. It's why Lilly created the first ever commercially produced insulin. It's why Lilly was the first to print ingredients on their medicines. It's why Lilly distributed the vaccine that eradicated polio. It's legacy deeply rooted in both humanity and discovery.

Lilly partnered with the team at Wieden+Kennedy to develop a new brand platform and visual identity system that differentiates it from the cold, sterile, technically-focused approach that dominates the industry. Lilly is a brand that feels warm, attuned to the needs of their patients, and fearlessly future-facing. We developed a graphic system that brings Lilly's personality to life in a way that feels authentically inquisitive, caring, and most importantly, human.

While we explored options to update the iconic Lilly logo, the beauty and humanity of its script approach won out; it simply had too much differentiation and brand equity within the industry to abandon. What we did suggest was the addition of a custom-drawn monogram that could extend the brand into a wider variety of applications and voices. The overall system also received a sophisticated facelift, from updated typefaces capable of speaking in bold, elegant, and playful tones to a color palette selected for its warmth and gentle energy. Photography, illustrations, and custom patterns embrace the complexity of emotions that patients, researchers, and healthcare professionals face every day. The entire system is built to flex seamlessly across applications and environments, extending Lilly's brand message to the world.

Wieden+Kennedy Portland

Pierre Jouffray, Creative Director
David Trujillo, Design Director
Christin Spagnoli, Design Director
Stephanie Ward, Design Director, Strategy
Michael Frediani, Executive Design Producer
Brooks Heintzelman, Senior Designer
Helen Ip, Senior Designer
Reena Chai, Designer
Katie Custis, Designer
Jim Ward, Dave Hagen, Reshidev Rk, Illustrators