Applied Materials recently unveiled an updated company logo and tagline. To learn more about what inspired the changes, we sat down with Bevin Maguire, Chief Communications Officer at Applied.

Q: What was the inspiration for the brand refresh?

BM: I think it’s helpful to start by looking at the evolution of Applied’s brand over the years. When the company was founded in 1967, our brand was a representation of what the company did – selling and manipulating chemicals for the semiconductor industry – and one of our early logos featured a chemistry flask.

At the turn of the century, Applied embarked on a transformative journey by featuring nanomanufacturing technology that represented our expanded strategic direction. We were expanding globally and growing our revenue. It was the beginning of a new era for the company and the semiconductor industry.

Fast forward to about ten years ago when Applied refreshed its tagline and vision statement to Make Possible™ a Better Future. It was a commitment to our responsibility as leaders to make the world a better place by understanding the power of technology to improve people’s lives. This idea remains the vision of Applied.

Now, as we are approaching Applied’s 60^th anniversary, we are evolving the brand to further show how our material innovation continues to make a real, meaningful difference for our customers, employees, partners and for the world.

Q: What do you mean by “material innovation” and why is it important?

BM: Material innovation refers to the materials science and engineering solutions Applied delivers that are at the foundation of virtually every semiconductor chip in the world. It reflects the innovative work our teams do every day, and it demonstrates the impact we have on the world and the future of technology.

One of the largest technology inflections of our lifetime is AI. With almost infinite possible uses, AI is transforming entire industries and is a major catalyst for innovation and growth across the technology sector. Alongside AI, the semiconductor roadmap is becoming increasingly complex. Incremental technology improvements are not enough to enable the performance and energy-efficiency required for next-generation chips. We need fundamental advances and breakthroughs, and that’s where Applied is focused.

Our new brand promise – We deliver material innovation that changes the world – is simple but powerful. It positions us for the future and aligns with our vision, while staying true to our values and our heritage.

Q: Talk about the changes to the Applied Materials logo. How do the changes connect to the new brand promise?

BM: Our logo is an important part of how we express the brand. It is the visual heart of our company. It reflects our identity and our values in one memorable image, the letter A, which we call the “Impact A”.