From high-performance challenger to electrified incumbent
Challenge
After years of steady growth, AGS had made serious moves. They acquired Cadillac Jack to expand their Class II and Class III footprint, diversified into tables and interactive, and built momentum with groundbreaking hits like Orion and Starwall. The company’s acquisition by Brightstar Capital Partners in tandem with this brand evolution further underscored the importance of reenergizing AGS’s business strategy with a winning brand strategy.
With real product power to back its claims, AGS had proven itself a high-performance player but brand perception lagged. Outdated visuals, mixed messaging, and a lack of unified story meant AGS wasn’t getting credit for the energy and performance already fueling its rise. To compete head-to-head with Aristocrat, IGT, and Light & Wonder, AGS needed a brand as strong as its products. One that would position it to claim leader status.
Strategic Assessment
HERO PAIN POINT
Under-performing relationships and products
Operators were frustrated with suppliers who played it safe. Slow to innovate. Rigid in terms. Satisfied with predictable pipelines. In a category dominated by the law of averages, casinos needed a partner who could deliver optionality, true operator partnership, and proven performance.
COMPETITIVE WEAKNESS
No gambling soul
The giants leaned on size and shareholder value, but their brands lacked connection to gambling culture itself. Low hit rates, corporate polish, and an overreliance on algorithms revealed an industry increasingly detached from players.
DE-POSITIONING STRATEGY
Playing to Win
We positioned AGS as the high-performing wild card—the brand who goes all in on every product with the win rates to back it up. Instead of mimicking the giants, AGS embraced its outsider spirit while proving it had the track record and culture to compete at the highest level.
This narrative reframed AGS from a “second-tier supplier” into an electrified incumbent: bold enough to change the game, and relentlessly dedicated to re-energizing operator relationships and playing experiences.
VISUAL POSITIONING STRATEGY
Become the Bolt
The creative system embodied AGS’s evolution by taking the brand logo from a generic play icon into an ownable lightning bolt. Paired with a refreshed wordmark, the bolt became a signal of power, energy, and attitude. A signal to operators, players, and competitors alike that AGS was here to electrify the gaming world,
Headlines like Fortune Favors the Bolt, Win Together and Raise the Stakes amplified this new identity, capturing the voice of a high-performance risk-taker. A unified visual language with adrenaline-charged typography, magnetic color palettes, and disciplined application rules ensured every touchpoint, from digital campaigns to product launches to industry events, brimmed with high-voltage confidence.
OUTCOME + IMPACT
AGS was acquired by Brightstar Capital Partners at nearly double its previous valuation, a clear signal of the company’s strategic ambition. The full rebrand debuted at G2E alongside a new website and fleet rollout. The launch electrified the industry, energizing teams, partners, and operators with renewed pride and confidence. AGS now stands charged for its next era of growth as a top-tier force in gaming.
