Last year, we took a step back to really consider our brand. We’re in a position to help normalize the conversation and destigmatize the journey to improved vaginal health. Our product Milli addresses vaginal tightness—a personal, intimate issue. One that shouldn’t be taboo or isolating. Milli deserves a brand that reflects that. We partnered with Kick, a Minneapolis-based branding and design agency, to help us close the gap between our values and our brand.
We started the process by asking ourselves: Beyond the features and benefits, what is the “heart” of the Milli brand? We already had a deep understanding of who our customer is and what they experience. How they talk about the issue and what they need. These insights helped us create a brand strategy positioning Milli as an empathetic ally who is “by your side” throughout the vaginismus journey.
From here, we developed our brand story told through a short, straightforward narrative speaking directly with our customers:
You are not alone. What you’re experiencing is real. It’s common. And—here’s the part we really want you to hear—it doesn’t have to stay this way. Milli puts the power quite literally in your hands. You’re finally in control of your journey, setting the pace to improved vaginal health on your terms—with Milli by your side at every step.
This story served as a guide for the next steps in our evolution. And everything we create from here on out is measured against this belief and our three brand personality attributes—warmth, confidence and optimism.
In developing our new logo, we collaborated with Kick to transform our existing m-heart from a simple logo to an intentional storytelling visual. The evolved hand-drawn “m-heart” and new handwritten script logotype mirror the personal, fluid journey of Milli’s users. The gradient, letter forms and even i-dots were crafted with purpose, visually extending our journey concept.
With our brand essence and new logo in hand, Kick extended that feel into a brand system—a collection of colors, fonts, imagery and patterns that all helped to make Milli and the journey to improved vaginal health feel more accessible and less intimidating.
Kick also then crafted an approachable, knowledgeable and uncomplicated voice for Milli. A voice that engages users in conversation, shares information and offers guidance during the journey.
Knowing that our website is often the first introduction to Milli, we infused our evolved brand into every digital corner—starting with our new URL: helloMilli.com. On our site, users will find a reassuring ally. Uncomplicated product information. And the support needed to take the next step on their journey to vaginal health.
About the Milli device
Milli is the first and only all-in-one expanding dilator used to gradually expand the vagina one millimeter at a time, without the discomfort and inconvenience of having to remove and reinsert differently-sized devices—helping users address the vaginal tightness associated with vaginismus and take control of their journey.
Learn more about Milli at helloMilli.com.
Learn more about Kick at kickmpls.com.
About Materna Medical
Materna Medical is a novel OBGYN platform company defining a $25B market with core technologies addressing unmet needs in women’s pelvic health. With headquarters in Mountain View, California, Materna pulls from the top minds in MedTech to truly transform the standard of care in OBGYN. With a diverse team of engineers, scientists, researchers, and commercial leaders, Materna Medical’s mission is to empower women to protect their pelvic health.
Our first product, Milli™, is a vaginal dilator to support patients suffering from vaginismus and related painful sex. In 2019, the Milli device launched as a wellness trainer and, in 2023, received FDA clearance to sell over the counter, enabling streamlined access to people suffering from vaginismus. Milli outcomes have been studied in a post-market prospective virtual study named POMPOM.
Materna’s second product, Ellora™, is an investigational device used during labor and is intended to reduce pelvic floor muscle injury during vaginal delivery in first-time moms. This product is being studied in the EASE trial, a large, randomized controlled trial in 20 top US hospitals. Materna aims to transform the standard of care in labor and delivery by protecting pelvic floor health for moms.