Atkins is a British multinational engineering, design and project management consultancy founded in 1938 by William Atkins as WS Atkins & Partners. The company’s visual identity has undergone two significant transformations: a 2002 rebrand that simplified the name and wordmark, and a 2023 unification under the AtkinsRéalis name following the acquisition of Atkins by Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin.
Design and History
In May 2002, WS Atkins dropped the initials from the front of its name and reshaped its logo in a drive to present itself as a simpler, more approachable business. The new logo was designed in-house and featured a light blue hue described as more “screen friendly” than other colours. The cross bar in the “A” was removed, following a trend among other recently rebranded consultants at the time. The design also incorporated a “T” where the left-hand edge of the top line slopes parallel to the right side of the “A,” emphasising the company’s image as an integrated business.[1]
Commenting on the 2002 change, design observers noted that the modified initial “A” was an attempt to create an instantly recognisable character for the company name, with the removal of the bar from the upper-case “A” suggesting “a degree of sophistication and intelligence.”[2]
In September 2023, SNC-Lavalin Group rebranded as AtkinsRéalis, uniting SNC-Lavalin, Atkins and Faithful+Gould under one single name and brand.[3] The brand development phase was led by Interbrand, a global branding consultancy, with creative agency Cossette and relationship marketing agency MRM supporting the development of the new name and visual identity platform.[3] The new brand and associated visual identity came into use on September 13, 2023.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The name AtkinsRéalis combines Atkins, a legacy brand well-established across the company’s international markets, with “Réalis,” a coined term inspired by the city of Montréal and the company’s French-Canadian roots. “Réalis” also resembles the verb “to realize,” to make something happen, highlighting the company’s focus on outcomes and project delivery.[3]
The AtkinsRéalis identity was built around the concept of “brilliance,” with everything from typefaces, colour palette and monogram inspired by the idea of collaborative energy and the impact it can make.[5] The identity was designed to stand out from the more conservative brands in the engineering space and was phased in across 260 global locations.[6]
Typography and Design
As part of the AtkinsRéalis rebrand, two bespoke type families were created in collaboration between Interbrand and type foundry NaN: GameChanger and Bienvenue. GameChanger is a distinctive titling sans-serif with square counters contrasting its rounded outer shapes, creating distorted outlines that visually reference separate machined parts. Bienvenue is a neo-grotesk with subtle details and crisp legibility. Both families share the same proportions and weight, working harmoniously to serve AtkinsRéalis’ human-centred technological identity.[7]
GameChanger serves as the headline typeface, used to create impact, while the character spacing, strong forms and structured appearance of the typefaces echo the exacting nature of the company’s work.[8]
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