DYNEGY: ...a marriage of energy and imagination

A use of identity, by a leader

New: Dynegy Inc.

Launched: June 4, 1998

Formerly: NGC Corporation, originally Natural Gas Clearinghouse

Story in brief:
In the churning energy industry, this Houston-based giant was overdue for visibility. Founder and CEO Chuck Watson decided create a public identity and to focus on imagination as the firm's distinguishing core competence: "We have built our company by anticipating change, seeing possibilities that no one else saw and shaping the industry with our solutions. We value imagination, and use it daily."

Credits:
C.E.O. - Chuck Watson
Identity counsel & naming - Enterprise IG
Design - Enterprise designer Will Ayres

First Impressions:
The name "Dynegy" (coined from 'dynamic energy') is a huge leap from NGC's alphabetic obscurity.

For its design idea, Dynegy earns my 1998 Logo Innovation award. The innovation is the use of an ancient Chinese 'tangram' puzzle as a corporate symbol. The figures it spawns run, skate and "do handstands in the service of Dynegy's customers," and bring the leader's vision to imaginative life.