Read Time: 1.5 minutes

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 75th anniversary, the firm sat down with some of the designers behind their 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 their founder J. Gordon Lippincott famously said, “Design can’t stand still,” and neither can Lippincott. 

The icons interviewed include: Richard Felton, John Young, Connie Birdsall and longtime SEGD member Arthur King. As a Design Director and then Vice President of Lippincott, King designed and directed branding projects for Hertz, Eastern Airlines, Citgo and New York Life. Moving to London, he managed the European roll-out of the Chrysler identity program, then headed Lippincott’s design operations.

Watch Arthur King's interview

More Lippincott Icons