Braun: Case study

Credits & Description:

Brand BRAUN
Entrant GREY LONDON
GREY London, United Kingdom Entrant Company
GREY London, United Kingdom Idea Creation
GREY London, United Kingdom Production
Vicki Maguire Grey London Executive Creative Direction
Caroline Pay Grey London Executive Creative Direction
Leo Savage Grey London Designer
David Simoes Grey London Designer
Andy Lockley Grey London Art Direction
Martin McGinn Grey London Creative Production
Synopsis
For over 70 years, Braun has been producing some of the most iconic industrial design in the world, resulting in a body of work unmatched in quality, beauty and consistency. Today, Braun is one of the only museum quality brands still producing products at a mass scale.
But despite owning a unique design language, the communications design over the last decades has lead to a brand identity that was common and unremarkable.
The brief was to reinvigorate the modern brand by bridging it’s past as the definitive industrial design brand but in a way relevant for modern communication channels.
Outcome
Launched at the October Strategic Design Meeting, where the global deployment and sales teams ratify the marketing plans, the new Brand Identity was met with incredible response. Enthusiasm and excitement for the brand refresh increased toolkit adoption, retention and reproduction and has re-invigorated the entire organization to re-connect with the essence of this iconic brand.
Execution
While the brand refresh worked across a deep range of executions, it was best distilled in the form of simple graphic posters where the geometry, product and design system were at their purest. These principles of these posters were then applied in varying forms to every touchpoint across a vast commerce focused toolkit.
Special posters were re-produced in a vintage style, with screen printing and hand mechanical techniques in order to understand the subtle technique necessary in making modern digitally produced elements feel rooted in the rich past of the brand. These techniques of overprinting, composing and typesetting were then translated for digital reproduction in the brand guideline.
Entry Summary
For over 70 years, Braun has been producing some of the most iconic industrial design in the world, resulting in a body of work unmatched in quality, beauty and consistency. Today, Braun is one of the only museum quality brands still producing products at a mass scale.
But despite owning a unique design language, the communications design over the last decades has lead to a brand identity that was common and unremarkable.
The brief was to reinvigorate the modern brand by bridging it’s past as the definitive industrial design brand but in a way relevant for modern communication channels.
The brand and communications design was a series of large scale poster artworks unveiled as the new aesthetic at Braun HQ and throughout Braun’s network of partner agencies. They will also form the backdrop to a traveling immersion workshop which will tour Braun’s markets throughout 2018.
Campaign Description
A reductive geometric language was created, derived from product design past and present, and reframed to communicate the brand essence to a modern audience who uses Brauns current products.
A system was developed around the new design language, balancing core principles of functionality and order with aesthetic beauty and craft. Developed to work across all touchpoints from retail to poster to ecommerce and digital, the new look and feel successfully bridged the past and the present.