Opus Engineering Consultants
When values differentiate more than capability.
Client
Opus Engineering Consultants
Project
Brand Platform and Identity
Location
Wellington, New Zealand
Year
2013
-
Role
Creative Director, Lead Designer
Agency
DNA Design
Category
Public Engineering Services
Contributors
Mark Di Somma – Strategic writing
Ian Robertson – Photography
Art Direction
Brand Signature
Brand Story
Communications
Concept Creation
Retouching
Visual Identity
Strategy
Stakeholder Engagement
Detailed Design
Opus Engineering boasts a rich history in New Zealand, tracing its roots back to the Ministry of Works. Privatised in the late 1980s, it had evolved into a formidable force with over 3,000 engineers, designers, planners, researchers, and advisors. Their reach extended across the globe, serving more than 12,000 clients in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
However, the engineering landscape is fiercely competitive, with experience and personnel often being the only differentiators. Opus recognised the need to stand out, to showcase their client-centric approach and collaborative spirit on a global scale.
Our solution? "Two and a half thousand minds per hour." This powerful tagline captured their unique edge – the collective brainpower brought to bear on every project.
But showcasing expertise wasn't enough. We needed to demonstrate how Opus' values translated into tangible benefits for clients. This became the cornerstone of their truly unique proposition.
Each value received a clear metaphor, making the underlying principle relatable. These metaphors formed the basis for their international websites and corporate profile, further enhanced by a series of captivating images representing their diverse sectors.
By embracing their values as a selling point, Opus experienced a remarkable shift. Staff morale soared, attracting high-caliber graduates became easier, and client engagement flourished. This value-driven approach even played a key role in facilitating acquisitions, a crucial element of their ambitious 2020 vision.
The success of this campaign was further solidified by a Silver Graphis Award in 2014, a testament to its effectiveness.
One key challenge of the brief was to create a defensible brand proposition that effectively captured Opus’s deep and wide capabilities.
The engineering industry is a crowded space with many firms offering similar services. Opus, however, stood out by truly embodying its values. We helped them articulate this distinct identity, creating a clear differentiation in the market and giving them the competitive edge they needed.