Craving a new look
This large mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering firm first opened its San Francisco doors in 1971. Over the next 34 years, the firm steadily expanded, opening separate offices in Sacramento, Portland, Los Angeles and Seattle. By 2004 they were eager for a brand make-over.
Changing the standard perception of engineers
We realized was that all of the engineer’s incredibly innovative work ultimately ends up behind a wall, under a floor or above a ceiling—where it’s essentially invisible. The only time engineers got any “recognition” was when something went wrong. They were perceived as the ones who always said what couldn’t be done, and we wanted to change this perception.
Part of our brand identity strategy was to:
Internal and external qualitative research | Strategic brand positioning | Brand identity design
Website design & management | Signage design | Brand standards guide | Corporate collateral design
Trade show booth design | Ongoing design & brand strategy work
Thinking. Inside the Building.™
The invisibility factor is captured in the brand identity through subtle deboss and foil techniques in the stationery and the design of the signage for all locations. A positioning line, ‘Thinking. Inside the building.’ was developed to further emphasize the firm’s values. It appears on the inside of Glumac’s award-winning structural business card.
“When I think about our experience with WOW, there are three things that come to mind.
The first is change. By working with WOW we discovered what was really important to all of us, and in our case that was ‘sustainability.’ That became a vision for our company and something that we all became united around.
The second is pride. I can tell you that everyone within the company is extraordinarily proud of the sustainable brand that’s been established.
The third is fun. It was really a fun experience working with WOW. They made it interesting and enjoyable. I can only give a whole-hearted recommendation for WOW.”
