Leo Burnett Launches the Global Design Council, Convenes Best-in-Class Designers and Makers

Design solves complex human problems and helps us connect with people. To unite Leo’s unique design capabilities and fuel those human connections, the agency recently launched its Global Design Council.

Leo Burnett has always had a strong tradition of world-class, multi-disciplinary design talent across the globe. The Council advances that legacy for design excellence into the next generation by nurturing and recognizing the unique designs and designers who are at the center of our work.

The Council launched with 10 members across seven offices – co-created by Mark Elwood, Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett London; Alisa Wolfson, Executive Vice President Head of Design at Leo Burnett Chicago; and Lisa Greenberg, Chief Creative Officer at Leo Burnett Toronto. The Council plans to gather quarterly for a design-centered “show and tell” that evaluates work across four categories of ideas: pure design, integrated, passion projects and inspiration.

We caught up with Mark, Lisa and Alisa to hear more about the first meeting and the projects they reviewed. Here’s what had everyone talking!

Fiat Wear

“My favorite thing about being a designer is playing with a big brand’s visual language. In this way, the Fiat Wear campaign was brilliantly done by the Sao Paulo team,” said Alisa Wolfson.

“The Fiat Wear campaign uses a historic logo to create a new identity for the brand’s wearables. It’s such a clever twist of just four lines that instantly transform into a stitch. I really love that.”

Fiat Wear was created to reach younger audiences – bringing together lifestyle and attitude for the fashion brand. The Fiat Wear visual identity was conceived based on the Fiat logo and inspired by a fashion symbol: stitches. In every piece, stitches are used graphically to “sew” two different elements of the layout –solid color blocks, photos or even videos. The color palette is lively, fun and varied.

GroupeConnect

“GroupeConnect created an evolving and ever changing wordmark,” said Lisa Greenberg.

“It feels alive, almost a breathing organism. It adapts itself for each recipient. This is a good marriage of tech and design.”

GroupeConnect is a full-service marketing solution created by Publicis Groupe for one of its largest global partners, Bank of America, made up of experts from Leo Burnett, Digitas (Boston), Starcom, Sapient, Publicis Digital Experience and more. However, a lack of distinctive branding hindered recruiting, morale and even client rapport. The new identity celebrates employees’ individuality and the countless ways that teams combine capabilities at the intersection of strategy, data and creativity.

Designers devised GC Sans, a variable typeface, and invented an algorithm that combines its letterforms with employee data points. The result? A personalized logo generator capable of creating 62 million unique versions. No two team members are the same and neither are their logos. Brand elements combine clean precision with plenty of playfulness and heart.

Sunshine in a Box

“The piece of work that stayed with me was ‘Sunshine in a Box’ from the Toronto office,” said Mark Elwood.

“It tackled the problem of darker winter months where [Canadians] experience only six hours of daylight a day. It’s a stunning example of packaging design with a Full Spectrum Bulb, bringing some much-needed Vitamin D in style.”

The campaign was created to spotlight the Winter Solstice, when it’s often dark before the workday is done. The Full Spectrum Bulb emits vibes scientifically proven to remedy the sadness and fatigue that comes with reduced Vitamin D. The package design was created to highlight the power of the bulb to generate joy.

Global Design Council Members
Mark Elwood, Executive Creative Director, Leo London
Lisa Greenberg, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Toronto
Alisa Wolfson, EVP/Head of Design, Leo Chicago
David Allen, Creative Director –Design, Leo London
Juan Frias, Creative Director, Leo Madrid
Alex Fuller, SVP/Design Director, Leo Chicago
Chris Jonanov, Creative Director, Leo Australia
Sachin Kamble, Creative Director, Leo Mumbai
Felipe Massis, Sr. Art Director, Leo Sao Paulo
Man Wai Wong, Group Creative Director Design, Leo Toronto