Elmwood Reveals Brand Story behind America’s First Over-the-Counter Contraceptive Pill

For the first time ever this year, women in America are able to walk into a pharmacy and pick up a birth control pill without a prescription – as global design consultancy Elmwood reveals the brand story behind a landmark moment in US history. 

Elmwood partnered with pharmaceutical company Perrigo to create a visual identity for Opill, its daily oral contraceptive available to millions of people across America. The pill was approved for over-the-counter use last year, in a move hailed by Perrigo as “a giant leap for women’s empowerment”.

“Opill is a ground breaking product that will reshape the parameters of women and people’s health,” says Rob Dyer, associate creative director at Elmwood London. “Our strategy was to capture this transition via a meaningful brand language that breaks free from the norms of traditional healthcare design, with branding that is relatable, supportive and fun. Opill’s high visibility and friendly, positive tone challenges long-held codes of the category, driving appeal with a next-generation audience.”

Marking its status as America’s first non-prescription birth control pill, Opill’s visual identity – which extends across TV, out of home, digital and pack touchpoints – revolves around its O-shaped brandmark.

Against a backdrop where one-third of American women report barriers in accessing contraception, the halo outline of the O is designed to be clear, strong and accessible. Between the many roadblocks to reproductive support, it becomes a beacon for protection: a motif that speaks to Opill’s simplicity, convenience and ease of use.

The colour palette for Opill also reinvents industry standards, featuring a background of modern teal alongside pops of coral, lilac, orange, blush and yellow that appear in free-form shapes. These surround a striking dark blue typeface that references classic Rx language – underpinning Opill’s efficacy as a daily contraceptive. Together, the effect is a visual metaphor for the arcs of the world around us (the free-form shapes), and Opill’s steady presence within that (the pharmaceutical colour of the lettering).

Meanwhile, Opill’s block letter font was intentionally selected due to its open and round typeface; building the sense of a brand that is warm and approachable. An additional freehand marker script is also used for a dash of personality and a human touch in Opill’s off-pack comms. Within its new suite of photography and illustration assets, Opill’s design language emphasises themes of inclusivity – striking a balance between efficacy and openness.

“Opill’s brand language is powerful because it really cuts through the tropes of daily femininity and rewrites the rules of what design in reproductive healthcare means – and how far it can stretch,” says Rob. “Through multiple rounds of consumer research, we were able to refine this bright yet uncluttered visual world that is distinct to anything before it.

“As a design system, Opill is celebrated in quite an expressive and playful way,” Rob continues. “Yet at the same time we have this core feeling of reassurance and safety. What we want to convey is this is a brand where you can be yourself. You can access effective contraception on your terms, without having to navigate additional barriers.”

Elmwood previously collaborated with HRA Pharma, now a subsidiary of Perrigo, on the design strategy for British contraceptive pill, Hana. The UK’s first contraceptive pill to be sold over the counter at pharmacies, Hana launched in July 2021 and adopted a similar focus in terms of rewriting how contraceptive brands look and feel – with a playful, accessible and empowering brand ethos.

In the US, the launch of Opill follows years of campaigning from medical and women’s health groups for birth control to be available over the counter. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists called it “a critically important advancement in the accessibility of reproductive health care” that empowers consumers to choose when and where they access a safe method of contraception.