ABOUT

BACKGROUND
Unless you’re from Copenhagen it’s unlikely you’ve heard of Topsoe. They are a quietly brilliant Danish chemical engineering company. Brilliant in the sense of being a world leader in chemistry R&D. But quiet…

But now is not a time for Topsoe to be quiet. Their R&D investments have matured into a range of offerings which can help companies to decarbonize. From low carbon fertilizer for farmers to low carbon transport fuels, Topsoe have the potential to make a huge difference to decarbonization efforts.

But they didn’t have the brand to do this. They came to us wanting a visual identity to match their vision to be recognized as a decarbonization leader.

Their specific objectives were to design a new visual identity which could engage customers outside their traditional core; to energize Topsoe’s workforce around the vision; and above all to turn commitments into action.

CREATIVE IDEA
Our creative idea came from two observations:

#1. Businesses know why they need to decarbonize. And yet the why of decarbonization remains the dominant narrative in the media. Companies don’t need more why, they need decarbonization partners who can show them how. As an engineering company, Topsoe have natural authority as a how brand.

#2. Businesses have made big long term commitments, eg to be carbon neutral by 2040. Long term commitments reflect the scale of the transition away from carbon. But they also create space for hesitation and delay. Topsoe have decarbonization offerings available for every industry now, today. The Topsoe brand should not just show businesses how to hit their long term targets. The brand should also instigate immediate action.

These two observations led us to the creative idea: the how and now of decarbonization. We related this strategy back to the vision to be a leader. What kind of person would Topsoe be as a leader? Our answer: a highly extrovert pragmatist.

EXECUTION
The brief to the design team was to portray Topsoe as the how and now of decarbonization, a highly extrovert pragmatist here to guide business leaders.

The new Topsoe wordmark embodies confidence and simplicity. Subtle use of negative space is a reminder of the tipping point the world’s at.

The new colour palette beautifully and directly delivers the high extroversion which the brand needs. And the colours are themselves environmentally conscious, with a low energy footprint on digital platforms and reduced ink usage for print.

Iconography and the gridlines simplify complexity, guide the eye and imply action.

The topdown photography complements the grid and connects the planetary issue with the human-scale decisions which leaders can take.

The brand’s tone of voice is a lesson in powerful simplification. Is your company in the business of moving, making or growing? Topsoe can help in any case.

We launched the new identity globally in March 2022 with a new microsite, website, marketing campaigns, events, company presentations and workforce engagement campaign.

RESULTS
The new identity has united thousands of employees behind the vision and is signalling to business leaders and the wider world that Topsoe is a leader to get behind. We are making Topsoe synonymous with decarbonization.

Topsoe has seen a huge increase in its follower numbers and engagement. In the month since launch, Topsoe has seen a 30% increase in Twitter impressions, 55% increase in Twitter profile visits, 76% increase in Linkedin shares and a 100% increase in LinkedIn engagement rate. The number of website visitors is up massively, more than 230% YoY.

In other words, in just the first month since launch the new Topsoe brand has already proven that it can instigate business leaders to take action. From talking the talk, to walking the walk, all from a new brand.