When IBM purchased the open-source cloud computing firm Red Hat, they wanted to position it as a true partnership that would unlock benefits for both companies and their customers, not just a buy-out.

To announce the major new acquisition, and call extra attention to the partnership, we developed a simple and striking blue/red graphic identity, where blue stood for IBM (a nod to their longstanding nickname, Big Blue) and red, of course, stood for Red Hat. We kept the headlines short, provocative, and a little mysterious: interlocking phrases speak to the complimentary – and sometimes opposite – strengths of IBM and Red Hat (for example, the hero line was “smart is open. open is smart.”).

For the initial launch, we took over Times Square and other OOH locations. Large spreads were placed in national newspapers and business press, and audio ran on podcasts.