Project team
Cushendale woollen mills has been a family business for over 250 years, with a woollen mills on the site since 1204. That history and heritage was weighing the brand down, and as the latest generation of the family took the reigns they had a bold vision for the next chapter of the business, marrying the generations of expertise and knowledge with a bolder approach to product aimed at an international, digitally orientated market.
Our approach was to support this vision with the development of a confident contemporary brand that balances quality, craft and thoughtful detail with an unapologetic creative edge.
This defining tension is carried through all aspects of the brand, the classic serif logotype paired with an interwoven monogram, a deep heritage blue paired with a searing orange, a brand story that connects deep expertise and constant evolution and invention, and an approach to imagery that marries calm stillness with unexpected movement.
We redesigned every aspect of packaging to further position as a contemporary luxury brand and provide a simple counterpoint to the colourful, textured, patterned products. We picked out high-end details using a palette of natural materials to deliver a plastic free packaging solution that cover physical and digital sales needs.
We developed an extensive image bank, working with photographer Al Higgins and stylist Ciara O Donovan to create a wide range of visually diverse images that could be used across channels and throughout the year. Process shots showed the people, place and work that goes into the products. Product shots position the items in contemporary lifestyle settings, and social campaign shots used contemporary dancers to explore the products products though movement and unexpected composition.
Highlights from the project
with….
With Al Higgins and Ciara O’Donovan
A new high quality ecommerce experience
Expressing a contemporary outlook alongside a rich heritage required a playful and irreverent approach to photography whilst retaining a deep respect for craft and materials. It was important to get the balance right.