Eli Lilly: A Medicine Company

Brand System & Visual Identity Design

2023

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.

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