Basaglar: Launching a New Insulin Brand Worldwide
Context
Eli Lilly launched Basaglar, a new insulin brand entering a competitive market dominated by legacy players. The goal: create a human, optimistic brand that felt more like CPG than pharma.
Challenge
The team needed to develop a brand platform and launch campaign that would:
- Differentiate Basaglar in a crowded, regulated market.
- Work across five international markets (U.S., U.K., Japan, Brazil, Germany).
- Balance medical credibility with emotional resonance for patients and providers.
Approach
As Creative Director at Area 23, I led the brand development and launch initiative:
- Created the global brand book and design system.
- Ran creative sessions in New York and Paris, ensuring alignment across regional teams.
- Oversaw market research and campaign refinement in each geography.
- Managed creative quality and messaging consistency through launch and rollout.
- Personally trained international brand teams in Milan.
Impact
Basaglar launched successfully with a distinctively warm, human identity — helping Lilly enter a new market segment with confidence. The brand’s tone and visual system became a benchmark for approachable design in pharma.
For the brand voice we determined that a distinctive warm but to the point tone could be disarming and unexpected. For execution we used the cutest, most unexpected brand ambassadors: baby animals, photographed by the award-winning Jill Greenberg.
Relevance to Today
Demonstrates strategic design leadership across brand, marketing, and experience — integrating creativity, cross-cultural alignment, and regulatory precision at global scale.
Reply