VMWare CxO

Brand Identity System, Campaign & Event Materials: As Creative Lead, I led the ideation, creation, and rollout of a new visual brand identity system, including guidelines and templates, collateral, and marketing materials (keynote decks, event signage and materials, digital ads, and campaign launch assets).

Role: Creative Lead / Design Direction / Concepting / Design Execution

THE BRIEF
While VMware’s in-market presence is refreshed regularly via the launch of a new brand campaign, the brand’s face to the executive-level audience was feeling stale. VMWear needed an ownable and elevated brand to distinguish its CxO messaging from its umbrella brand messaging, which is geared toward practitioners.

STRATEGY
A new CIO-level brand expression that would contemporize executive comms, feel differentiated and elevated from the VMware master brand while embodying and conveying leadership. The new look and feel needed to drive quality engagement with CIOs at top accounts and serve as the connective tissue across executive programs.

OUTCOME
Dialed-in, modern, C-level sophistication with impactful B&W photography and a restrained play on the VMware heritage parallelogram. Our research showed the “hero” terminology was overused and inauthentic. So we recommended a simple anchoring idea: “Lead Forward.”, challenging today’s CxO to look forever forward in their approach to people and technology.

“Across VMware, this is a super-duper hit.”
—Erin Simone, Senior Marketing Manager, VMware

A system of graphic elements that elevate the CIO role as a change-maker and “Master of New.” VMWear’s existing parallelogram is refreshed and used as a device that represents the shifts in technology and mindset required of this ever-evolving CIO. The result is optimistic and visionary, with elevated and sophisticated imagery and color palette.

VMware’s CIO Forum is designed explicitly for CIOs to discuss industry trends, share best practices, and gain insights on leveraging VMware solutions to address their business needs. Dozens of Forums are healed regionally each year. Therefore, VMware needed a suite of templated materials that could be customized for each event.

Primary/Lifestyle Black-and-white photography is ownable, sophisticated, and elevated—creating an exclusive feel. It distinguishes the CIO communications from practitioner. Lifestyle photos are authentic and in the moment. We make executives the focal point, positioning them at the center of their story. Subjects have a relaxed confidence that feels optimistic, visionary, and forward-thinking.

Supporting/Abstract Clean, modern, and bold photography of cities, buildings, and other modern structures with interesting angles symbolizes the way CIOs shift their perspective and see things differently. Images feel open and full of possibility. Images can feature different landmarks and cities to tie to different regions.