SALT case study · CREST Q2 2025

Nernst

An oxygen-generation startup with a name people misheard as ‘Dunce Electric’. We tightened its story to a single word - Nernst - and one disciplined claim.

Visit nernstelectric.com ↗

Starting point

“The current website is basic and primarily showcases the original fuel cell technology... the name is difficult to pronounce, and hear."

Good science, thin story - that was the gap we were brought in to close. We started at the beginning with Nernst Electric: the current website leaned almost entirely on the original fuel cell technology, and the name itself was working against them. This was an early-stage, engineering-led team with almost no marketing, and branding was rated only “Medium” priority next to fundraising and getting a prototype proven on a real farm.

Nernst - Hawaii Meeting 1, 15 Jul 2025 - meeting notes

Discussion with the team

16 Jul
Initial brand story draft judged to lack personal connection: “the need to extend the story beyond technology to show actual impact on feeding people and climate change.” Two-division structure (oxygen/blue vs fuel cells/green) discussed.
Hawaii Meeting 2
21 Jul
Naming debate: “considering shortening to just 'Nernst' or exploring complete rebranding options.” Five alternative names to be proposed.
Hawaii Meeting 3

Chosen direction

“Dropping ‘Electric’ left us with one strong word, so we let the typography carry the logo. The angular letters were chosen to feel engineered, and the Chrome Yellow highlight is the same yellow as their 3D printers, which ties the brand back to how the technology is actually made.”

Anandi, Creative Direction

“Their customers are engineers, farmers and investors, and all three switch off at marketing 'fluff'. We built the messaging on ‘lead with the vision, support with the evidence’ so every claim has a number or a real farm behind it, and we took ‘clean’ out of the mission because purity is what sets them apart.”

Chevaun, Strategic Direction

A five-option rebrand shortlist (Nernion, Zeropoint Systems, Aurion, Helionics) was produced and set aside - the client kept “Nernst,” dropping only “Electric,” and every deliverable after this point uses the shortened name under the direction “Simple + Specialised.”

Name Suggestions deck - 11 Aug
CM Edits (2 rounds) - 18 Aug
CR2 - 26 Aug

Messaging Guideline codifies the pivot: “Lead with the vision, anchor in evidence” - e.g. “Our ceramic based oxygen generators cut energy use... Now, we are bringing that performance to a live farm in Ireland.”