LPK makes Ashland identity work

Cincinnati Design consultancy Libby Perszyk Kathman has redesigned the corporate identity of US conglomerate Ashland.

Ashland, a Fortune 200 listed company and supplier of chemicals, car-care products and construction services, wanted to focus on the importance of the role of its employees, and reflect the diversity of the organisation’s products and services.

The word “who” in the existing strapline “The who in how things work” becomes a focal point for the new identity. The message is reinforced with a graphic underscore to represent human spontaneity.

The design consultancy departed from the traditional typeface to a “bold, strong and functional typeface that is truly reflective of the identity of the company,” says John Recker, vice-president, director of brand strategy at LPK.

Recker adds that this is a sustainable identity that will be carried through many years. “It’s bold and energetic and exudes the personality of confidence and sophistication that the company stands for,” he says.

LPK has redesigned the packaging for US tomato-processing company Red Gold.

Packaging for the long-established brand has gone largely unchanged for nearly a decade and LPK has aimed to provide a contemporary feel to almost 70 different products in the Red Gold portfolio.

“This was an evolutionary redesign. The products had definite equities that we wanted to build on, not walk away from,” says Recker.