Featured cases

Case: Rockwell Collins 2006


2006



2001
THE STORY

Over twenty years, proud Rockwell International had spun out such companies as Rocketdyne, Conexant and Meritor. Then in June of 2001, it took the last step, split itself in two and disappeared, leaving Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Collins as independent, unrelated successors.

Despite the risk of sharing a name (and in this case a logo too) whose meaning neither could any longer fully control, for the time being both companies took the easy route of retaining their existing divisional signatures.  In the shock of 9/11, economic decline and the largest downturn in the history of the commercial aerospace market, a low public profile was probably a good idea.

Five years later, Rockwell Collins is on solid ground, an international leader in avionics. CEO Clayton Jones agreed the time had come for a higher, more assertive profile, a posture of pride and confident self determination. It was time to take back and own his own "Rockwell."

The creative brief:
Retain both Rockwell and Collins equities (since the 30s, Collins dominated aviation radios)
Replace "division" with "proud corporation"
Support a unifying "one company" ethic
Support "leader in innovation."

BrandLogic answered with a sharply italic stacked wordmark that uses the double l's, accented with three red-orange dashes, to change two personal names into one dynamic corporate presence.  Tony Spaeth


CREDITS

BrandLogic


CASE INFO

Submitted by: Tony Spaeth, 13/11/2006
Status: Estimated by Tony Spaeth
Category: Aerospace & Defense
Country (HQ): United States


MATRIX DATA

DRIVERS

  

TOOLS

Strategic driver: 50%   
Change internal culture
  Refresh & redirect competitive energy
 20%  x  Identifier tactics: Logo change: Wordmark-dominant
    x  Change event : Medium visibility: Launch event
Change expressed personality
  Renew/refresh public image
 20%  x  Identifier tactics: Logo change: Wordmark-dominant
    x  Identity system elements: Verbal elements: Tag lines
    x  Change event : Medium visibility: Launch event
Change perceived composition
  Modify parental 'umbrella' presence
 10%  x  Identity system elements: Unit signature system: Monolithic
    x  Change event : Medium visibility: Launch event
    
Functional driver: 50%   
Name confusion
  Increase name differentiation
 50%  x  Identifier tactics: Logo change: Wordmark-dominant
    x  Change event : Medium visibility: Launch event