About this logo
Advanced Combustion Technologies (ACT) is a $6 Million firm in New Hampshire that engineers and develops combustion systems that dramatically reduce NOx emissions. In 2006, they chose to review their existing marketing efforts. They had a general logo they used on their marketing collateral, but it appeared differently on each marketing piece. The web site was designed based on a template that appeared on other web sites online, and didn’t convey the benefits of ACT’s service.
ACT hired MESH to review their brand, make recommendations on graphic design and marketing for print and web, and execute on those recommendations. We met with senior management, discussed their market, message, and goals, and developed a number of rebrand/logo ideas. The previous logo was black and red and various type treatments. The black and red came from the markets they serve—coal, oil and fire, and felt heavy and dated. We determined with management that ACT is more of an environmental company—helping reduce emissions by 85% in some cases, and that we needed to help communicate that. After a short period of research, review and editing, we came up with this logo.
The colors were chosen because the gray and green feel very light, clean, technical, and environmentally friendly. The ACT was set in type that communicates a solid presence, while the name spelled out underneath helps tie the icon and the ACT together. The icon itself represents a diamond shape (subtle hint of quality), with a white silhouette of their main product (air swirler) overlaid on a green background of air swirling. The complete solution is a unique and relevant logo that they wouldn’t have achieved without a full blown exploration with the management team.