American Industrial Transport

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A New Direction

Atomicdust created new branding, web design and an internal brand launch strategy for renamed railcar leasing and repair company, American Industrial Transport.

A New Direction

When American Railcar Industries, Inc.’s manufacturing arm was bought by another company, a new name and rebrand was part of the deal. After deciding on American Industrial Transport (or AITX, the company’s rail mark for its trains), their team approached Atomicdust for help. The charge: create a modern, professional brand that sets a path for the company’s future while honoring its century-long history, and build a complementary website that drives sales.

Made in America

AITX’s rich tradition of helping companies transport goods across America is central to the company’s identity (American is right there in the name). We honored the brand’s heritage with a contemporary version of a red, white and blue color palette. The intersecting A and X in the new logo hints at the railcar industry without overplaying it and represents AITX’s role in guiding its clients.

Subtle and Sophisticated

During our competitive audit, we found that companies in the rail industry frequently lean on transportation and railroad puns in their brand language. We worked to avoid those tropes while still conveying forward motion. The new tagline, Moving Ahead, elevates the transportation metaphor while promising to clients that AITX is different, and indicating to internal audiences that the company is leaving its old ways behind.

Industry Leaders

With the new brand in place, we designed the website with a focus on what’s most important: AITX’s clients. It’s an uncommon strategy for the rail industry, even for companies who claim to put customers first. The sitemap and language support this, with pages organized by industry and services so that prospects know exactly what AITX can do for their company. We also built in a search tool that allows people to search by location or capability, and a case study framework that AITX can use to show off its successes.

Aligning the Company

Companies in transition often focus on launching the rebrand externally while forgetting to share it internally. A series of ownership changes over the years had left some teams feeling disconnected. Our goal was to bring the entire company together, united around a single message that gives everyone a shared purpose and mission.

To make sure AITX’s employees across the country were on board, we created an internal brand launch plan to prepare the new brand for long-term success. A dedicated landing page and video, break room signage, and company swag helped to educate and excite teams about American Industrial Transport.