LIVESTRONG

Hope rides on.

CHALLENGE

In the early 2000s, Livestrong became one of the most well-known and well-funded cancer nonprofits in the world — built on the personal narrative and celebrity of its founder Lance Armstrong and more than $100 million invested by Nike. After the controversy, Livestrong and Lance formally broke ties in 2012. In the years that followed, the organization shrunk in size and in cultural relevance. Yet it never stopped being relevant for people dealing with a cancer diagnosis. They wanted to reclaim their brand and all the positive feelings it once represented.

VALUE

After a challenging period in their history, Livestrong emerged with greater focus and a renewed purpose. We worked closely with new CEO Suzanne Stone to evolve their brand in a way that reconnects to their past but also signals a new beginning. This provided her and her team with a platform to champion new initiatives and a new vision for the org. For their most loyal supporters, the people who never stopped wearing their yellow bands, the updated brand reignited a sense of pride in Livestrong’s mission. We also expanded and modernized their visual toolkit, giving them the flexibility to express the brand across a growing range of communications — from the front of a cycling kit to the front cover of a 200-page report on survivorship.

SERVICES

Strategy & Positioning

Visual Identity

Social

The evolution of the Livestrong logo from 1997 to present.

LOGO

Before it became the name of the organization, Livestrong was originally just a program name within the Lance Armstrong Foundation. And over the years, there have been many iterations of their logo.

For this next chapter, we modernized the iconic yellow band logo by reducing the space between the letters and selecting a more functional typeface. The new logo directly references their past, but the taller and bolder face helps improve legibility and sets their brand up for the future.

DESIGN SYSTEM

Livestrong’s brand has always had a strong connection to athletics. Events like marathons and fitness partnerships like Livestrong at The Y offer survivors and people undergoing treatment strength, hope and a sense of community. The organization also has an analytical side, creating novel cancer care practices, advocating for increased federal funding and partnering with hundreds of like-minded organizations around the country to effect change.

Because their brand sometimes needs to feel more sporty and other times more scientific, we added visual flexibility through new typography, colors and iconography. The expanded toolkit allows them to adapt to a wide range of different communication needs, while ensuring everything still feels like it's all part of one brand.