duquesne light co

The folks at Duquesne Light Company had the chutzpah to do this, largely because they saw how damaging the old brand had become. It painted them as an old-fashioned light company. That was all well and good in years gone by.

But not anymore.

Being an anachronism hurt their recruiting efforts. (What young engineer wants to work at the light company in an age of Google and Uber?) It hurt their ability to someday launch advanced products such as lithium ion home battery storage. (Who wants to buy technology from a “utility?”) And it hurt the morale of the women and men who do so much more than just keep the lights on.

Working as creative director and writer, I had the challenge of leading the team that tackled this problem. Research immediately confirmed our suspicion: consumers don’t care about light companies.

What do they care about? Their tablets, tvs, computers, cell phones, Twitter feeds, streaming services…the devices and experiences in today’s age that connect them to the very fabric of life. That’s when it became clear: Duquesne isn’t a light company. It’s a life company.

So, we rebranded them from Duquesne Light Company to DLC, highlighting the myriad ways – both present and future – they’re working to connect consumers with some of life’s most meaningful moments. Not just lighting a room at the flick of a switch.

As for results, the campaign increased DLC’s positive awareness scores, was welcomed with open arms by internal staff and boosted recruitment numbers.

See what’s possible when you’re “larger than light?”