BLUNDSTONE
— CASE STUDY
— 12 MIN READNever. Stand. Still.
Blundstone Boots was established in Tasmania over 150 years ago. As the business has grown so has its wearers all over the world — an audience who now see Blunnies as less of a workwear brand and more of a lifestyle one.
SCOPE— Strategy & Messaging
— Design Systems
— Brand Manual
— Photography Briefs
— Stationery
— Literature & Presentations
— Point of Sale
— Website
— Videos
— Environments
— Packaging
— Uniforms & Clothing
— Ongoing Brand Direction
RECOGNITIONGood Design Award (AUS)
— Gold
AGDA 2019 (AUS)
— Shortlisted
Graphis Design (US)
— Gold
The tipping point was when sales for their traditional workwear users was superseded by sales for their lifestyle range. The previous strategy targeted both audiences separately, a costly exercise that created a division in the brand where unity would have achieved greater overall results.
We were challenged with bringing the two audiences together under a single brand, a common theme and a design system which allowed for bespoke messaging relevant to each audience across the globe.
Process
—
Working closely with the Blundstone marketing team and their supporting agencies in Hobart, Sydney, New York and Los Angeles we gathered campaign and marketing collateral for both the workwear and lifestyle brands.
[S1] In the initial stages of work a series of interviews and one-on-one brand strategy discussions were facilitated with key stakeholders, employees, distributers and users to gain a clear understanding of how the brand was perceived and to road test early thinking.
Once all the material and interviews were gathered we conducted a detailed visual audit of the brand, its competitors and relevant benchmark brands from across the globe. This audit stage of work was presented with key insights, observations and recommendations for the brand moving forward.
[S2] The strategic work culminated in a brand model which included the brand values, vision, personality, purpose and essence. This work informed the creative expression of the brand from tagline to photography style.
[S3/4] The final stages of work included design concepts, detailed design systems and photography briefs documented in a Brand Manual. A supporting Brand Book was created for staff and distributers.
The program of work was created to explore, define, document and implement the new brand across markets globally.
Insight
—
Focus on the wearers
— not the boots.
As a brand Blundstone represents action and initiative, no one puts on a pair of Blunnies to stand still. Blundstone would not be here today if it had stood still; if it hadn’t continued to adapt, innovate and change. That’s what it takes to grow a legacy over decades, centuries even, and it’s what they will continue to do.
— Never Stand Still
This Brand Essence is central to the Blundstone DNA. It needs to be evident in everything the brand does: culture and people, products and services, the way they work and communicate.
Solution
—
The brand essence moves the focus from product to people — a strategic shift that became the foundations for all aspects of the Blundstone brand.
The tagline Everywhere Life Takes Me™ relates to young and old, miners to musicians, Tasmanians to Americans. A unifying theme that brings diverse stories together under one umbrella.
The theme was carried through a range of messaging, all focusing on the wearer.
Design System
—
Inspired by the Blundstone boot-loop we created a simple tab device and design system to consistently position the logo across applications in a way that ensures it is 100% legible at all times.
The design system was created to provide a simple sizing rule for elements across a range of standard and non-standard formats.
The Brand Manual documented a revised suite of basic elements that included: colour palette, typography, a signature shape, icons, graphics and patterns.
Imagery Briefs
—
Photography and video are core visual communications for brand. To communicate to the different audiences we needed a suite of images that were consistent in style yet varied in content.
We worked with Blundstone to edit their current library of images and create a set of imagery briefs. These were executed by a series of photographers and agencies in a range of markets.
Core Photographers
— Naoto Ono (USA)
— Jeremy Piper (AUS)
Environments & Point of Sale
—
The revised brand direction required an overhaul of their point of sale toolkit, we created a clear messaging hierarchy and a zone-based display system to achieve this.
The design used materials and textures relevant to each audience across a simple modular system that would work for small, medium and large footprints across lifestyle and workwear products.
Store Design
— 4D Projects (UK)
— E2 (AUS)
Large window displays, small landing plinths, walls and tables were all used. The flexible system allowed for a consistent yet adaptable display of both lifestyle and workwear boots.
Brand Book
—
To help celebrate their 150 year anniversary we were asked to conceptualise a signature brand book.
The leather slip case draws inspiration from the signature ‘v’ cut from the boots. The boot-loop used as a way to remove the book.
A series of interviews were conducted to draw out stories and insights around the brand and captured in a visually rich brand book.
Digital & Social
—
Having outlined the core principles of the brand in the Brand Manual the work was handed to various agencies to create regional websites, videos and social media posts.
A global implementation of the work and the brand principles were applied to a wide range of applications. These included pop-up stores in London’s Covent Garden, New York’s Brooklyn and Melbourne as well as packaging, advertising and promotional materials..
Throughout this stage, we provided design and brand guidance to the wider team.
Over a 24 month period the new brand direction was successfully implemented across Australia, US, EU and Asia. Distributers and Blundstones international agencies embraced the new direction which can now be seen in all of its markets.
The strategic work received Gold at the prestigious Good Design Awards here in Australia and Gold in the US Graphis Design awards.
FBD TEAMCreative Director
— Chris Thomas
Strategy & Messaging
— Louise Broad
Copy
— John Kerswell
Senior Designers
— Louise Elliot
— Kevin Tran
Printing
— Carbon 8
Templates
— Linda Bentley
SUPPORTING CREATIVESVideo
— Bolster
— Red Jelly
— BMF
— Juan Melara
— Madeleine Gasparinatos
Website
— Overdose
Core Photographers
— Naoto Ono
— Jeremy Piper
Retail
— 4d Projects
— E2
Printing
— Carbon 8
— Honwu