An agent of change
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A newly articulated brand purpose and refined visual language for IBM

For over a century, IBM has been a global leader in technological innovation with more patents than any single company in history. At the forefront of a computing revolution with the convergence of AI, Hybrid Cloud and Quantum– IBM itself was also facing a dramatic change. Its sizable global technology services business was being spun off under a new company.

Capitalizing on this opportunity to sharpen and re-focus the brand around what’s always been true for both the company and internal culture, Gretel worked with the IBM team to articulate a brand purpose, principles and voice and express them through a refined design language.

The Node
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A distillation of the iconic IBM 8-bar into an atomic unit, the node is a visual metaphor for the catalyst. It works in concert with other nodes to create change, to pull industries, information, clients together, and to push ideas forward.

Resetting the foundation
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After an immersion into the history, culture and vision of the company, we set about articulating a new strategic foundation, starting with IBM’s brand purpose, positioning and expanding to 4 core principles.

An expanded 
design language
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Building on the node, ‘the catalyst’ led us to an interconnected design language. Cascading page layouts, typographic equations, reactive motion behaviors and crisp graphic collages reinforce how IBM connects ideas, industries, and even competitors. A shift toward a brighter brand palette and lighter typographic weighting also evokes clarity and illumination.

Ogilvy Platform and Campaign
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IBM’s storied agency of record brought the purpose and design language to life through a new global brand platform: Let’s Create. One of the most significant brand initiatives in over a decade, the launch and ongoing campaign work marries a bright, crisp and modern design language with an invitation to build, solve, optimize, discover and invent in partnership with IBM.