Forging a unified brand to shape the future
3D printing leaders Makerbot and Ultimaker joined forces in 2021 with a shared mission to shape the future of manufacturing and product development. Taking the Maker from the Makerbot name and the Ulti from the Ultimaker name, they chose a master brand name: UltiMaker.
They approached us to help position UltiMaker for growth, stand the brand out in a crowded space, rally employees around a shared vision and drive new customer sales.
We partnered to define their new brand architecture and product portfolio structure, develop a brand strategy and create an evolved visual identity system, honouring both Ultimaker’s and Makerbot’s spirit and legacy while heralding the dawn of a new era.
In designing the new identity, we carefully created a flexible system that could work for both brands. Our new logo takes inspiration from the forms of the hardware and mechanics of 3D printing, with a shape that can look like a U and an M. Rounded corners from the symbol are echoed in the wordmark, which features contrasting corners in its letterforms to convey the balance of fluidity and precision.
We built a flexible colour palette that honours both the red and blue of the portfolio, adding secondary palettes to modernise the brand and provide space for future iterations. We also developed a type system and provided detailed layout principles for enduring brand evolution.
‘After the merger, it was crucial our new brand would set us up for success, resonate with customers and inspire the team. We loved Moving Brands’ thorough and collaborative approach, they really got to know what UltiMaker is all about and the brilliant results - strategy, story, messaging and visuals - reflect that. We couldn’t be more excited about what they delivered - we definitely picked the right partner.’Pooja Hoffman VP Global Marketing, UltiMaker
