EXCELITAS

ENABLING THE FUTURE

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Excelitas is a global technology leader specializing in the design, development, and manufacturing of high-performance photonic and electronic components, modules, and systems. Serving a broad range of industries—including aerospace, medical, industrial, and scientific research—Excelitas provides innovative solutions that enhance sensing, detection, and illumination capabilities.

W|W helped Excelitas navigate a comprehensive rebranding initiative that included repositioning the company and its sub-brands into a tightly connected endorsed-brand ecosystem. This transformation from a largely disconnected house-of-brands, has strengthen brand equity for both the parent company and its portfolio of products with all key audiences, including customers, investors, and employees across the world.

In addition to the brand strategy, W|W designed the visual identity system - including the logos for Excelitas and all sub-brands, created the comprehensive brand style guide, produced motion graphic animations for trade events, overhauled all print marketing collateral, and wrapped a Zamboni for the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team.

IDENTITY

The Excelitas logo takes its inspiration from a flash of light and the spark that drives innovation. As the global leader in photonics,  the science and technology of generating, detecting, and manipulating light, this corporate identity accurately reflects the company of today, while strongly positioning it to support leadership's growth plans.  W|W created a design scheme composed of a number of core elements that combine to create a distinctive look and feel that makes the Excelitas brand instantly recognizable.

MARKETING 

W|W's integrated design approach yielded a robust system for creating assets to support marketing & communication activities.  The "X" space inside the Excelitas flash logomark works as an image container, while the spaces outside the X contain compelling messaging. The Fractal Background, created by overlaying two transparent triangle shapes, provides another layout option with inherent flexibility.  In all layouts, the Excelitas logo placement is prominent and consistent, ensuring a clear brand signal is communicated. 

SUBBRANDS

In the prior decade, Excelitas experienced significant expansion via organic sales growth and the acquisition of strategically aligned businesses.  Through that rapid evolution, Excelitas became a house of successful global brands, but with limited enhanced equity for the parent company.  Leveraging voice-of-customer research, leadership interviews, a marcom audit, and other tactics, W|W helped Excelitas pivot into an endorsed brand ecosystem. In addition to streamlining the graphic DNA of all the sub-brands, W|W  created an affinity convention that connects these sub-brands to Excelitas, greatly improving its ability to build awareness and equity at the parent level and cross-promote the sub-brands as appropriate.

CORPORATE LITERATURE SYSTEM

Prior to the rebranding initiative, thousands of unique pieces of literature existed, including corporate communications such as ESG reports, product marketing, technical collateral, manuals & guides, and more.  Leveraging the new visual identity and graphic toolkit, W|W created a design system that standardized Excelitas literature across all corporate and sub-brand communications and established brand unity. W|W delivered working templates for the new literature standard and supported the Excelitas integration of the system into its custom PIM infrastructure (Product Information Management). 

ENVIRONMENT

The rebranding initiative also addressed the many physical touchpoints across the global enterprise, including signage and wayfinding for the new headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA. The design system was created with inherent flexibility to support an efficient, phased implementation across its facilities. W|W helped Excelitas rethink the look and feel of its trade show presence, using its existing exhibit hardware & booth equipment, and also developed animated, motion graphics.  

BRANDED APPLICATIONS

Rounding out the formative initiative, W|W addressed many branded touchpoints from across the Excelitas enterprise, including merchandise, apparel, uniforms, safety gear, employee badges, packaging materials, and PowerPoint decks.  And, with the Excelitas sponsorship of the 5-time Stanley Cup winning NHL team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, W|W was able to design custom graphics for the team's Zamboni (and get a free ride around the ice in-between periods).