Our transformation from exutec to &why
After more than 10 years of exutec, we have turned the mirror inward and done some self-reflection on our own agency brand. It quickly became clear that it was time for a new look & feel that better represented who we are now.
We created a new brand and made the step to change not only our visual identity and tone of voice but also our name. At this point, we look back on several months of work: a few tears here and there, an intensive reflection of our own culture and personality, and some heavy coffee consumption along the way.
Over the past few years, a lot has changed at our (once small) agency. We moved offices into a beautiful old auction house, our team grew from 6 to 40 people with remote employees in three different countries, and we had the honor of working on a wide variety of international projects. We broke down barriers and became an increasingly ambitious team that has developed creative concepts using innovative technologies at the speed of thought. So to cut it short: the associations evoked by our old identity no longer embodied what it means to be us. And nobody likes wearing clothes that neither fit nor mirror your vibes, right?
It was time for a brand that better represents who we are.
A brand that feels and sounds more like us and conveys the vision we strive for. A brand that’s ready to be used in all parts of the world and inspire an even larger team.
And why the name“&why” you might ask? Well, let’s just say we are a curious bunch. Why does your company contribute to a meaningful goal? Why are you in business? Why should people experience your brand in a certain way? We want us to have an answer to these questions because we believe it’s these questions that turn good ideas into great work.
And this is us.
Developing a new positioning and identity was definitely a challenge — moving past 10 years of the same name, logo and colors meant letting go of personal attachment and sometimes some very emotional memories.
But we pulled it off! And these are three things we became aware of:
We’re a new kind of agency.
We discovered that what sets us apart as a (relatively) young agency are the things we took for granted most. People love to work with us, both as clients and employees, because of our close collaboration, our flexibility, and our ambitious attitude. Some may call us young and raw, but we figure that’s our greatest asset: because sometimes you need someone raw enough to push for bold change and the ambition to go far beyond the official boundaries. And with &why, we’re honestly and authentically displaying what we already are.
“I always wanted to have two things: flexibility of working from different places, and something like a constant challenge, kinda like the drive of always doing something new, keeping it exciting, always learning, never falling into monotony… and that whole “thing” is what we have here, I’d say!”
(Sergio)
We want to do better and lead by example.
For us, work is more than work. Work is where we can live our beliefs and where our actions are in harmony with our values. We want to do better, both internally and externally. Internally, we are currently in the process of becoming a climate-neutral agency. We promote diversity and equality, donate our retail space to nonprofits and help out with our time in social projects. Externally, we work with our partners to become value-driven forces. Forces that people can believe in because they are aspiring to be contemporary leaders in their fields. In a nutshell: We aim to see a greater purpose in every project we do and push for positive change using the innovative technological tools we have.
We strive to understand all connections.
We think there are little things more interesting than holistically understanding why and how something feels great. We aim to be aware of all the connections involved in the complex challenges — from business to creativity to technology. Thinking across barriers and outside our perceived areas of expertise doesn’t make us uncomfortable, it makes us &why (and happy, of course). Honestly, though, we can only do a really good job if all units work together closely. Only then, we can fulfill what we strive for: To connect people worldwide by creating experiences to fall in love with.
So, what’s next?
Going forward, we’re ready to be a new kind of agency, an international force to be reckoned with connecting people in a meaningful way through great experiences. And a force for good in our community. Curious explorers of new technologies and reliable experts in our areas of expertise. Or, to put it in the words of our colleague Anna, we’re going to be a bit like Wes-Alane. And if that’s not an ambitious and quirky promise, what else would be?
Cheers!
Still interested in how our process worked? Read more in Dani’s article about rebuilding an agency brand from scratch here.
