Lincoln Financial

In 1905, a group of founders set out to build an insurance company rooted in integrity, honesty and reliability. Even in that era, they understood the power of a brand and the human connection to symbols, prompting them to secure permission for the one likeness and name that best embodied the company’s ideals: Abraham Lincoln. To this day, Lincoln Financial remains the only company legally permitted to use his image as part of their brand.

While those original ideals remain vividly alive, Lincoln Financial’s growth and innovation over the past 120 years called for a brand evolution—one that would reflect, and bolster, new business units, audiences, products and people. Our goal was to define and activate a power brand that reflected Lincoln’s rich heritage, stood out across its categories, and confidently ushered in its next chapter.  

Here’s how we did it. 

Our research revealed clear themes for the new brand that leaned on both Lincoln’s legacy and its future aspirations—from its existing track record of acting with integrity and creating trusted, empowering relationships to its goal to be known for serving a wider range of people and their evolving needs.  

We delivered a brand strategy that translated Lincoln’s advantages and ambitions into a set of commitments that guide communications, behaviors and experience across all interactions, product touchpoints and channels. The essence of the strategy was also expressed with a new tagline, Your tomorrow. Our priority. It's a succinct message that emphasizes customer-centricity, partnership and prioritizing the future, while reinforcing Lincoln Financial's commitment to treat every customer’s goals with care. 

From our deep dive into the industry and Lincoln’s competitors, we saw a clear opportunity to carve out a unique position in the market with a compelling brand personality and identity that balances optimism and sincerity. In honor of Abraham Lincoln, we called it “The Honest Visionary." 

We first reflected the brand strategy and personality in the logo, retaining the iconic likeness of Abraham Lincoln and updating it to signal warmth and a future-facing profile. This new image puts Lincoln at eye-level with the viewer and orients him towards a vibrant future.

The surrounding visual system builds on the idea of looking to the future through a combination of visual elements that center the brand on the people Lincoln serves every day.

Finally, the accompanying brand voice provides a framework for how Lincoln communicates its perspective, ​experience and forward outlook across all audience touchpoints. 

To re-introduce the brand to the world, we started with the most important audience—employees—providing them with the tools they need to deliver the brand to customers. A comprehensive launch messaging and copy playbook, a dynamic leadership roadshow, an integrated employee engagement campaign and an organization-wide immersion and training program helped generate understanding and excitement around the brand transformation and everyone's role in making it a reality.

For external audiences, key storytelling materials from a brand anthem video to assets for social channels and animated signage for Lincoln Financial Field, supported the brand launch.

The new brand launched on September 16, 2024, unveiled at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for the Eagles’ first home game of the season.