AJW Architectural Products
Infusing a Brand's DNA into Its Product's Communication Design
Branding, Brand Design
MY ROLE
Art Direction
Graphic Design
Market Research
Print Design
OVERVIEW
AJW Architectural Products is an American manufacturer of Division 10 commercial building products. Night Owls devised a flexible branding system, which applies a unique color palette to individual product lines based on the main color. From developing branding systems to actual art direction, I was the main designer in this project and have created a comprehensive brand guideline for AJW. The AJW Brand Guideline can be view here.
GOAL
Our industry research discovered that the majority of companies in the manufacturing field failed to deliver a strong sense of brand.
Our aim was to define a modern, people-oriented brand while preserving everything that has contributed to AJW’s success so far. We developed the central brand idea, “Focused on Services”, building on the key elements that set AJW apart from the competition: truly understanding and engaging with customers.
BRAND STRATEGY
Working collaboratively with AJW’s CEO and senior leadership team, we defined a clear, credible and compelling brand story that captures the unique role and impact AJW brings to the market. This new narrative elevates the brand conversation beyond just the products and solutions that AJW manufactures, instead focusing on the extraordinary customer services and company culture AJW brings to their customers and employees.
The new brand story, which is built on the promise, “Focused on Services,” gives purpose and higher-order meaning to the impactful work AJW is doing.
INTERNAL CAMPAIGN
AJW launched an internal campaign to unify, energize and inspire its 1,000 employees. We developed a visual campaign that brought a library of case studies to life by featuring the extraordinary possibilities AJW is enabling all across America.
Internal and external brand implementation plans, a national governance and adoption strategy, employee training, and copious guideline documentation have helped AJW undertake the multilayer process of bringing a new brand to life.