Ariadne

Modell Aachen and orgavision, two established makers of quality management and process software, merged to become the major player in their industry, with international markets in sight. The question for Berlin studio CRU was how to turn two companies, so similar yet so individually loved by their customers, into one brand without losing either.

CRU named the joint company after Ariadne, who gave Theseus the thread to find his way through the labyrinth. She became a symbol of clarity and helpfulness, the same orientation the software gives organisations lost in their own complexity. The design picks up the red thread and combines it with the emerging order of halftone grids, while a deliberately reduced palette, friendly visual language and clear typography keep everything calm and easy to navigate.

The work covered strategy and positioning, naming, brand design, brandbook, narrative, website, brand film and collaterals, plus a Brand Ambassador Program that brought employees of both companies together for the rollout. Today Ariadne is virtually unrivalled in the DACH region and expanding across Europe.