The Lilly logo, used by the American pharmaceutical company, is based on a handwritten rendering of the brand name and traces its origins to the signature of its founder, Eli Lilly. The wordmark is drawn with a single flowing line of nearly uniform stroke width, featuring a large loop in the capital L and extended flourishes on several letters. The primary version is red. In the extended version, the inscription “A MEDICINE COMPANY” appears below the handwritten mark in uppercase sans-serif letters. The standalone Lilly mark without this inscription is also used, while a white version is intended for red and other dark backgrounds. More than a century ago, Eli Lilly began using his signature as a mark on the company’s medicines, and this handwritten design has remained part of the brand identity to this day. The name Lilly comes from the surname of the company’s founder.
Eli Lilly and Company is an American pharmaceutical company founded on May 10, 1876, in Indianapolis by Colonel Eli Lilly, where its global headquarters remains today. The company researches, develops and manufactures medicines, with a primary focus on cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology and neurology. Throughout its history, Lilly has contributed to several important milestones in pharmaceutical development, including the launch of Humulin in 1982, the first medicine for human use produced using recombinant DNA technology. In 2026, the company celebrated its 150th anniversary, and as of June 30, 2026, it employed more than 51,000 people worldwide.
