Furukawa Electric Group

Becoming a brand of choice in the global market, driven by purpose

A purpose branding project to carry the founding spirit into the future and continue evolving as a unified group

Client	Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
Industry	At the time, the Furukawa Electric Group used multiple logos, and its guidelines had not been sufficiently established, resulting in inconsistent and complicated logo usage across the Group. Although the Group Philosophy, which articulated the Group’s aspirations, and its Core Values were already in place, they had not fully permeated the organization, making it difficult to communicate the brand’s value effectively. To address these challenges, the Group set out to unify its brand logo and develop a purpose—a memorable expression of its reason for being—while carrying forward the established equity of the Furukawa Electric brand. With the aim of becoming a brand of choice in the global market, a project was launched to rebuild the CI/VI and establish a new group and corporate brand.
Category	Group Branding
Service	Brand Concept/Purpose/Corporate Philosophy / Slogan/Statement / VI(Visual Identity/Logo) / Brand Style / Brand Penetration Measures

Project	At the time, the Furukawa Electric Group used multiple logos as its businesses and organization expanded, creating a growing need to organize its logo system and guidelines in order to ensure greater consistency in brand management across the Group. In addition, the Group needed to communicate its Group Philosophy—which articulated its aspirations—and its Core Values more clearly, both internally and externally, and further enhance its brand value. To address these needs, the Group set out to unify its group brand logo and develop a purpose—a memorable expression of its reason for being—while carrying forward the established equity of the Furukawa Electric brand. With the aim of becoming a brand of choice globally, the Group launched a project to rebuild its CI/VI and establish a new group brand and corporate brand.
Analysis	As the first step of the project, it was essential to develop a brand concept that would serve as the backbone—including the purpose and brand slogan—to visualize the company's potential and unify the group. Furthermore, to establish a globally consistent group brand, it was indispensable to develop a logo and style that embody the brand concept, along with guidelines for their consistent application. Additionally, effective internal communication initiatives were required to help employees understand and put these newly developed elements into practice.
Solution	During the research phase, internal research included interviews with 35 executives and employees both in Japan and overseas, as well as a survey of all employees. External research involved interviews with domestic recruiting targets and business professionals, along with competitive audits, to assess the current perception of the Furukawa Electric Group from both internal and external perspectives and to explore the direction of each development element. In developing the brand concept, a "Purpose Development Project Team" was established in parallel with the main project, primarily consisting of younger employees who will lead the next generation. The purpose was developed through ongoing dialogue with employees from group companies both domestically and internationally. Subsequently, based on the purpose, we provided comprehensive support for the CI/VI reconstruction, including the development of the slogan, logo, brand style, and various item designs. Ultimately, the guidelines were compiled as a set of standards to ensure consistent application across the group. Even after the brand launch, we continued to support internal engagement initiatives, including the development of a brand book and internal training sessions to deepen understanding of the new brand, helping the brand become self-sustaining beyond its initial development.

Purpose Movie

The purpose carries forward founder Ichibei Furukawa’s aspiration to "making Japan brighter" and reflects the Group’s determination to fulfill its reason for being: drawing on the technological and proposal capabilities it has continuously refined since its founding to take on a wide range of social challenges and “composing the core" that lead to a better future. The key visual symbolizing the purpose depicts a door opening, representing the brand leading the way toward a brighter world. The light spreading from beyond the door points to a future that continues to unfold.

Furukawa Electric Group Brand Logo

This brand logo symbolizes the Furukawa Electric Group’s aspirations and approach. The distinctive, curved letterforms flow seamlessly from one to the next, evoking a sense of “Composing the core of a brighter world.” Its solid, balanced form conveys the strength of the Furukawa Electric Group, which has long supported society’s infrastructure. Furukawa Electric Blue was established as the brand color—a hue that conveys the trust the Group has built over the years while inspiring anticipation for a brighter future for the world. The logo can also be paired with “All to brighten the world,” a slogan that expresses the spirit of the purpose simply and symbolically. The graphic element, featuring a blue gradient extending in a straight line, represents the purpose: “Composing the core of a brighter world.”

Brand Style Image Board

To establish a brand worldview consistent with the purpose, we developed a brand style guided by the keywords “Bright” and “Clear,” conveying the Furukawa Electric Group’s “bright, positive, and refreshing image”