In an ever increasingly competitive and complex sector, the energy company EDF recognised the need to revitalise and consolidate their brand and its position as a leader in the European market place. They developed a new positioning, Leading the energy change (Changer l’énergie ensemble) but needed to bring this to life in a compelling, clear and differentiating way, and to give their people across the business the tools to deliver the brand message with consistency to their various audiences.

Our first response was to understand and decode the question of leadership for EDF: how should they establish themselves as a credible leading brand, which would inspire the necessary change in energy consumption by setting the example? Getting people to understand energy and their role required connecting energy production to clear benefits. The design short-hand for this became 'duality' – the expression of a cause and effect relationship represented by a visual and verbal vocabulary of 'dual' picots, duo colour palette of blue and orange, and tone of voice that is optimistic yet direct.

The brand project for EDF has had the support of the whole business, and the new identity has been successfully adopted by all stakeholders as part of a wider commitment to ‘leading the energy change’. The system has already been adapted by EDF Energy for the UK market, and the rebranding of affiliates in Belgium, Hungary, Poland and Italy are underway. The speed of adoption has surpassed all expectations and has served as a catalyst for other major programs such as the Internet rebrand and editorial platform launch.