GARMIN RE-BRAND
If you’re into design and brand building (and you should be if you’re here) you’ll like this section. This is the story behind the story. The steps we took to re-brand a global tech company. The effort is ongoing. We’re constantly evaluating trends, uncovering efficiencies and making updates. But that’s sort of the genius of it all. Read on, you’ll see what I mean.
Co-Architect: Ryan Glendening, GCD, Designer
We started with a line. A few simple words intended to help with packaging would evolve into a company-wide mantra.
“Engineered on the inside for life on the outside.”
Guidelines were built on the fundamentals of a lust to logic spectrum. Purchase decisions are based on emotion and then rationalized by logic. Think of it like this: When you’re hungry and feel like having pizza for dinner, you’re making an emotional decision. Then, later on, when you look at a menu, your supporting a decision you’ve already made with some logical information about toppings, size and price.
Creative for a 360-degree advertising campaign has to be thought of in the same way, with the work organized accordingly. Emotional work that evokes a visceral response on the left. Rational work the justifies the decision on the right.
A KINETIC SYSTEM
Gone are the days of templates. We built a kit of kinetic parts — a digital style guide, if you will, that covered everything from photography style to iconography. This established a set of rules for consistency, while also allowing for creative flexibility. It’s a modern system necessary for a global brand with offices in 35 markets and an endless list of 3rd party partners.
GLOBAL CONSISTENCY
Once the style guide was built, we implemented its use. We brought a consistent identity to everything from packaging and brick and mortar stores to our digital properties and consumer advertising.
