October 30, 2018

Lippincott Icons — 75 years in the making

When J. Gordon Lippincott, an engineer by training, joined forces in 1943 with Walter Margulies, an architect, the now-famous duo’s vision was to make their mark through experience and product design.

Together they designed hotel restaurants, changed the silhouette of typewriters, crafted the interior of the U.S. Navy’s first nuclear submarine and architected the iconic Johnson’s pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City. And, by combining their product design roots with storytelling, they helped create the branding industry as we know it today.

The firm of Lippincott & Margulies, now Lippincott, went on to design some of the most iconic brands and experiences of our time, including well-known logos that have become much more than brand symbols: the Coca-Cola ribbon, the Duracell copper top, the Betty Crocker spoon and the American Express blue box. The longevity of Lippincott’s and Margulies’s work is a testament to the emotional connections a brand can forge.

To mark Lippincott’s 75^th anniversary, we sat down with some of the designers behind our most iconic projects. Icons in their own right, their work has spanned industries and decades. From fast food chains to canned soup, from planes to trains to automobiles, these Lippincott icons are a staple of everyday consumer life.

As our founder J. Gordon Lippincott famously said, “Design can’t stand still,” and neither can Lippincott. We can’t wait to see what the next 75 years will bring.

For our first episode, we sat down with Richard Felton — a Lippincott design co-op during the 60s who worked on iconic projects such as RCA and Coca-Cola. Here, Richard shares his experiences working under Lippincott's founders building an industry that didn't yet exist.

Meet John Young — a Lippincott design VP from 1958-1960 and 1965-1970. John led projects for some of Lippincott's biggest clients of the time, including Goldman Sachs, Tasters Choice and Great Northern Railroads, which he explores during this episode.

In our latest episode of ICONS, we interviewed Connie Birdsall — current global creative director and 30 year Lippincott veteran. Connie shares her experiences working on iconic projects for Samsung, Starbucks and more, as well as advice for what it takes to succeed in this industry.

In this episode of ICONS, we sat down with Arthur King who moved from New York to London with Lippincott to set up our European operations. Arthur was the creative director on projects such as Hertz, Chrysler, Eastern Airlines and New York Life.