Simple Solution
After leading the rebrand of Simple Solution brand family of pet care products, I led my team to extend the branding to over 150 products along with their retail and digital marketing. This legacy brand was so successful, it has remained relatively unchanged since the 2006 rebrand.
Role: Art Director - Brand Strategy, Focus Groups, Creative Direction, Packaging Design, Photography, Digital Promotions, POS Signage, E-Commerce
The Challenge
The Outcome
Simple Solution was originally sold in boutique pet stores. While Petco and PetSmart may be considered fairly large, Bramton Co. wanted to break into mass retail and distribution. The brand logo had not been updated in over 10 years, and because we had little market research, the distributors were inclined to make design recommendations that eventually muddied the brand into several sub-brands. Simple Solution brand lost both loyalty and recognition.
The goal was to unite the entire Simple Solution family of products and sub-brands into one parent brand and enter mass retail distribution.
We had less than three months to deliver from concept to completion of over 150 designs. It seemed an impossible task to render strategically and physically.
The Role
Directing the rebrand for Simple Solution, I collaborated with the product managers to design focus groups and build the research and development design brief. I contracted an external design agency to develop six first phase designs and I guided the in-house team to develop 6 first phase designs. We simulated the consumer shopping experiences in focus groups and presented all 12 designs to the participants. We narrowed the 12 down to 6, then 3, using a different focus group each time.
My original design was most preferred by focus group consumers. I directed the overall brand execution across 150+ SKUs.
We started by mapping out the content and specs for all products in the line using project management software and coordinated production with print and packaging vendors to scope out the quick turn and a massive influx of mechanical art files. Then, we booked photographers and pet models, and we firmed up specialty specs like foils and soy-based inks. I worked closely with product managers to source legal copy and proof content of all 150 SKUs.
We streamlined production with templates and asset libraries and I ensure our team was informed of best practices to optimize proofing and accuracy. I hired and trained two additional production artists to help meet our deliverables. We quickly built an image database of completed digital product mock-ups before they were printed which enabled quick execution of digital marketing.
Within the first year of launching the new brand, Simple Solution increased sales to over 320% by expanding to mass distributors and e-commerce. Products are now found in Walmart, Target, Amazon, Google Express, Chewy, and a dozen other mass retailers - though the brand has had another iteration since the 2009 rebrand. Simple Solution continues to prosper as consumers’ trusted source for pet care and waste management.
