Italcementi Group
1997
Integrated but local
In 1992, Italcementi – Italy’s leading cement company – acquired its French rival Ciments Français, and overnight became an international force. Its strategy now was to unify two very different cultures, to integrate its operations across different markets, and to speak with a unified voice – without losing the brand equity of its local businesses worldwide. Italcementi’s ambition was simple and practical: to become the most effective and most efficient cement manufacturer and distributor in the world. Or, to use its words, ‘a world class local business’.
Growth spiral
Wolff Olins helped Italcementi define this vision, and share it with its people worldwide. We then created an instantly recognisable identity for the group – a spiral symbol based on a natural form found in the rock from which cement is made, which also suggests movement, change and growth. Each business would adopt the symbol alongside its existing name, so that Italcementi could establish a global identity without losing local equity. We then helped Italcementi implement the identity across the group.
Decade of growth
The new identity was launched in 1997, and has helped fuel a decade of successful growth – including the efficient integration of acquisitions in Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Morocco, India, Egypt and the United States. Today Italcementi’s global presence spans 22 countries. The company is now the fifth largest cement producer in the world and the largest in the Mediterranean area. Italcementi has steadily increased its revenues at an average of 7% per year from EURO 2.8 billion in 1997 to EURO 6 billion in 2008.
