Report: CVS/pharmacy logo creator dies at 86

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Joseph Selame, who designed a wide range of well-known logos and brand identities for dozens of nonprofit organizations and companies, including CVS/pharmacy, died on March 29 in Boca Raton, Fla. He was 86.



According to a New York Times article, Selame not only created graphic designs but also oversaw total brand integration. For example, he helped rename the pharmacy retailer — transforming Consumer Value Stores into CVS/pharmacy. The retailer's logo, which includes the letters CVS and the word pharmacy, separated by a slash mark, has become one of the most familiar in the country.



He also created a logo for supermarket chain Stop & Shop.



Selame founded Selame Design in 1960 with his wife, Elinor, who was in charge of marketing and communications strategies. She died in 2008 at 77, the New York Times reported. The firm was renamed BrandEquity in 1995.



Selame, who was born in Brooklyn in 1925, was trained in graphic design by the Army during World War II. He was known for his approach, which was rooted in simplification.