Acorn drops out of education for chic Element 14

Computer company Acorn has changed its name to Element 14 to reflect its diversification into digital technology.

Richmond brand consultancy Addison Whitney worked up the new name, while London group Martin Waxman Associates created the identity and is now working on Acorn’s new corporate literature.

“We felt the Acorn brand didn’t reflect the company we had become. Despite moving into a whole range of digital products, we were still perceived as a supplier of PCs to education,” says Element 14 marketing manager Janice Gallagher.

“Silicon is the building block of digital technology and is the 14th element in the periodic table. The identity is intended to look stylish and contemporary, but not too much like a consumer brand,” adds Gallagher.

Gallagher says the Acorn brand will continue to exist as a computer-manufacturing sub-division of Element 14, but will only be “a very small part of the business”.