TEL

Semiconductors are essential to the transformation and evolution of industries, communications, and social systems worldwide. They are indispensable to the progress of society and everyday life.
Tokyo Electron (TEL), founded in Japan, develops and supplies equipment that supports the core stages of the semiconductor manufacturing process.

Since 2009, AXHUM has worked in close partnership with TEL on a comprehensive branding programme.
Our mission has been to establish a brand identity that reflects TEL’s cutting-edge core technologies—technologies vital to the future of humanity—and to cultivate strong, compelling brand value.
From the development and introduction of the corporate philosophy and logo to raising brand awareness among the general public and recruitment audiences, as well as enhancing global market presence, AXHUM continues to deliver strategic, integrated branding support on a long-term basis.

Mission

Despite its global scale, future potential, high level of social contribution, and its role at the forefront of critical technologies, TEL faced a challenge: limited brand recognition outside its industry.
Due to the complexity and abstract nature of semiconductors, the company struggled to gain visibility among the general public and recruitment audiences.
This presented particular difficulties in attracting top talent and in enabling employees to clearly articulate the value of their work to family and peers.
The project aimed to redefine and clarify TEL’s value, and to communicate it more widely and effectively to society at large.

Solution

The Tokyo Electron branding initiative began with the redevelopment of the company’s corporate philosophy and continued through the creation of a new slogan and the design of a refreshed brand logo and visual identity system.

One of the key challenges in establishing a global brand presence was securing the trademark rights for the name “TEL.”
Historically associated with “telephone,” the acronym was in widespread generic use, and securing it as a proprietary global trademark required significant time and effort.
Despite this, “TEL” was successfully introduced as a global brand identity—marking a major milestone in the company’s international branding strategy.

In partnership with New York-based branding firm Lippincott—renowned for its work with global brands such as Coca-Cola and Starbucks and credited with coining the term “Corporate Identity”—AXHUM led the development and implementation of TEL’s brand logo and core design system.
Working collaboratively, we overcame various structural and cultural barriers that often limit the globalisation of Japanese enterprises, and the initiative continues to expand internationally.

As TEL’s workforce has become increasingly diverse, AXHUM also supported the development of internal branding programmes to embed the corporate philosophy and inspire shared belief and action.
This included the creation of TEL University—an engagement platform supporting each employee’s individual purpose from onboarding to retirement—along with the development of its user experience and brand identity.

We also contributed to the planning and editorial direction of TELESCOPE Magazine, TEL’s owned media platform dedicated to sharing insights on cutting-edge semiconductor technologies.
Launched in the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, the magazine collects and curates global developments in advanced technologies, serving as a co-creative media resource for engineers and researchers around the world.

In this way, AXHUM’s branding support extends well beyond traditional corporate advertising—encompassing long-term content and media development to foster meaningful engagement and community around the brand.