Challenge
Capturing the soul of an infrastructure icon
At Echo, we’re drawn to the unsung storytellers of industry, those infrastructure companies whose work quietly powers our lives. Whether it’s flooring, insurance, or transportation logistics, we know these sectors house some of the most surprising and powerful stories in business.
So we were delighted when Rheem reached out to mark their 100th year.
Founded in 1925 by three brothers in California, Rheem is now a global force in heating, cooling, water heating, and refrigeration solutions. But despite their impressive archive — tens of thousands of images and a century of growth stories — they faced a very modern problem: How do you condense a century of global expansion, innovation, and impact into something that’s actually readable?
They also didn’t want a boring, heavy-text anniversary book. Their mandate? A fun read. The final product needed to grab attention — a history book staff and partners would continue to pick up, flip through, and enjoy reading.
And they wanted one agency that could deliver it all: story research, writing, design, print and digital formats, and delivery in time for centennial celebrations across continents.
Solution
A layered, visual history anyone can pick up
We began by shaping a narrative structure that could carry the weight of Rheem’s history without being linear or encyclopedic. With thousands of photos in hand and dozens of story directions available, we proposed a multi-format approach:
- A beautifully printed coffee table book
- A web-ready, interactive ebook
- A microsite timeline, video, and trivia experience that brought centennial stories to life
Rather than telling one long story, we broke the narrative into short, visually anchored vignettes. Think of them as “bitty-bitey” segments — small stories paired with compelling visuals that let you dip in and out while still tracing a broader arc. This energy mirrored the centennial tagline and also the book’s title: Next Starts Now.
The book’s structure was underpinned by a running 100-point timeline, weaving company-specific moments into global milestones. Visually, this added both cohesion and a rhythm of discovery: readers could navigate through a century by date, by theme, or by curiosity.
The design system was built to support the same sense of discovery that shaped the editorial structure. Because the stories were intentionally short and modular, the visual language needed to guide readers fluidly from one moment to the next — creating momentum without overwhelming the experience.
Rather than treating the archive as decoration, we used historical materials as narrative anchors. Vintage ads, product labels, factory photography, and technical ephemera became part of the storytelling itself, helping each spread feel rooted in a specific era while reinforcing the broader evolution of the brand.
To balance richness with readability, the layouts relied on a disciplined grid system paired with bold typography and strategic uses of Rheem red. These visual cues established rhythm and hierarchy throughout the book, creating a layered design that felt approachable, tactile, and highly browsable.
The writing followed the same principle. Business milestones and engineering innovation were balanced with warmth, human stories, and moments of cultural context — creating a tone that felt informed and celebratory without becoming overly formal or historical.
Result
A centennial built to last (on print and online)
Next Starts Now is everything Rheem hoped for: readable, visual, and full of story. Staff and partners across the world received the standard edition, which arrived in time for centennial parties at offices and facilities globally, and select executives received a special limited edition wrapped in linen with a debossed cover, red ribbon bookmark, and red-painted page edges, all housed in a custom-built, linen-wrapped presentation box.
For digital audiences, the interactive ebook added even more layers:
- Unpublished photos and photo galleries
- Embedded videos and 3D animations
- Trivia challenges that test reader knowledge
- A mobile-friendly timeline linking Rheem stories to broader cultural and industrial history
And the world has noticed. The Rheem book won Gold at the MarCom Awards for “spotlighting the company’s enduring legacy and vision for the future” and a second medal at the Axiom Business Book Awards in the category of Corporate History / Milestone.
One more cool thing...
A microsite that gets people talking
Rheem’s centennial campaign continues to evolve, and the book is now a core asset.
They’ve built a dedicated microsite that includes a centennial film, expanded photo galleries, and bite-sized stories, all of it anchored in the storytelling work Echo began.
The book didn’t just mark their past. It now helps tell the world where Rheem is going next.
Is your company is heading toward a milestone?
If you liked this story, you’ll love these. Why default to a dry archive when you can craft a layered, story-rich piece that resonates on paper, online, and in memory. Let’s start the next 100 together.
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