Case Study | Westinghouse

The Client:
Westinghouse Electric’s nuclear power division is at the forefront of nuclear technology. They supply security,
building plans, operation, upkeep and support for nuclear power plants. It is a well known company that spreads
its products around many different industries.

The Problem:
Nuclear energy is a difficult topic to promote. The nuclear division of Westinghouse Electric decided that an
exciting advertising campaign directed at the appropriate demographics could inform the public about the
positive aspects of nuclear energy. Because of the controversial nature of nuclear energy, trying to change
the public image was no easy task.

The Research:
Because this was the rebranding of all rebrandings, research on classically successful ad campaigns
seemed appropriate. Harley Davidson, Energizer and M&Ms are a few examples of companies with very
successful ad campaigns that inspired the process. The first stages revolved around finding the positive
aspects of nuclear energy, both conceptually and iconically.

The Solution:
There are very few images that can easily be associated with nuclear energy. The towers, the atom and
the mushroom cloud are the top three. Initially, the towers seemed like the least obtrusive option, but the
atom eventually came to the foreground as being the most visually dynamic and recognizable symbol.
It is strategically placed in the nuclear division’s new logo.

Images of happy people with handwritten headlines give the ads a down to earth, homey feeling that
immediately draw in the viewer. Outlining nuclear power’s positives concisely and powerfully after they’ve
been drawn in gets the message across in a friendly way. The viewer receives the information without the
intent of changing the way they think, but rather by providing information in a way that would at least make
them think about the positives of nuclear energy.


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This case study was created for a proposed project.