Visual Strategy Guide
Visual Strategy Guide
“In the beginning Esprit was just an idea that had to learn how to walk.” —Doug Tompkins
Table of Contents
01 02 03 04
BRAND OVERVIEW Brand History Brand Timeline
09 11
OUR FUTURE Brand Mission
14
Rebranding Objective
16
Brand Keywords
18
Brand Visualization
24
BRAND PERSONAS Target Audiences
30
Audiences Not In Range
36
BRAND COMPETITORS Current Competitors
40
Adjacent Competitors
42
Future Competitors
44
01
Brand Overview Esprit was the iconic clothing brand of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The brand was extended far beyond clothing with their brand soul. Brand overview introduces the history of the brand withtheir timeline.
Brand History Brand Timeline
“We were kids of the sixties and really took responsibility for what we created.” —Susie Tompkins Buell
Brand History
Esprit (Originally Esprit de Corp) was founded in California by Susie and Doug Tompkins in 1968. It was an iconic fashion brand that extended far beyond clothing. Esprit is an international fashion brand that represents a style and a quality since 1968. Esprit was founded by a married couple, Susie and Doug Tompkins with the vision of essential positivity. They were inspired by the revolutionary spirit of the ‘60s the brand focused on togetherness. They sold homemade clothing from the back seat of their station wagon. Right from the cradle, they instilled into Esprit the values they held most dear. The brand reflected relaxed American West Coast lifestyle, creativity and a high social and ecological sense of responsibility. The founders left the company, while Esprit rapidly expanded on an international scale, recording a long period of commercial success. This strategy made Esprit one of the world’s most successful and most profitable fashion brands. The success story of Esprit is based on two pillars: Delivering joy every day through laid-back tailored, high quality essentials and carefully selected fashion-forward pieces while staying true to its core values of sustainability, equality and freedom of choice.
BRAND OVERVIEW
BRAND STORY
09
Brand Timeline 1971
1968
1978
1987
1996
2003
The beginning with love, peace, and harmony.
A campagin makes movement.
Revolutionary architecture with bright colors.
1968
1978
1996
Susie and Doug Tompkins begin to sell the first fashion line from the boot of their estate car in San Francisco.
For the first time, turnover exceeds 100 million US dollars. Independent Esprit companies are founded in Germany and Hong Kong.
Jay Margolis takes over and Susie Tompkins sells her interest in the Esprit to a Hong Kong partner.
1971
1987
2003
The company is founded and registered under the name of Esprit de Corp.
Susie and Doug Tompkins draw attention to the growing AIDS epidemic with an AIDS campaign.
Esprit diversified the product line into menswear, sleepwear, and apparel intimate apparel.
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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
2005
2010
2012
2015
2017
2020
Red becomes the trademark.
Naturalness enters the scene.
A collaboration makes waves.
2005
2012
2017
Esprit establishes the first Esprit Academy for the promotion of young junior talents from various fields.
Esprit announced their plans to close all retail stores in North America because they were not competitive in the market and were losing money.
Esprit announced major changes to renew for their lost identity to put the brand back to an iconic brand again.
2010
2015
2020
In order to strengthen the profile of the Esprit brand, two new positions were created: Director and Creative Director for Brand & New Business.
Esprit announced they will be returning to the Canadian market. After the announcement, Esprit has opened two stores in Canada.
Esprit is responsible for informing social/environmental issues and bringing people together to make the world a better place.
BRAND OVERVIEW
11
02
Our Future With the original value of the Esprit— expression of personality, radical positivity, and togetherness—the new Esprit can be an extensive brand guides people to make better choices for their lives based on social and environmental responsibilities.
Brand Mission Rebranding Objective Brand Keywords Brand Visualization
Our mission is to encourage people to make responsible choices that positively impact others and the environment.
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16
Rebranding Objective
With a caring heart and social and environmental responsibility, Esprit will focus on providing products, education, and services that are tied to our mission. We will help people to be continuously aware of social and environmental issues and encourage them to get involved in practices of making a happier world.
OUR FUTURE
17
Brand Keywords During the research of the brand, we found that Esprit is far beyond the clothing business. Three keywords represent the spirit of Esprit. They are the key to the direction of New Esprit.
Caring
Develop a respectful and empathetic mind.
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Knowing
Get informed and conscious of social and environmental issues.
OUR FUTURE
KEYWORDS
21
Acting
Get involved to make a difference.
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Brand Visualization Visual concepts are a constant source of inspiration. Each board conveys the intended vision and mood of the original and future brand.
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WE WERE
The original Esprit was young, colorful, joyful, energetic, inspirational, progressive, expressive, accessible, and full of freedom.
ESPRIT
OUR FUTURE
BRAND VISUALIZATION
25
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WE WILL BECOME
Future Esprit will be strongly committed to taking action to make the world a better place. We will be inclusive, embracing, protective, caring, informative, conscious, and active.
Esprit
OUR FUTURE
BRAND VISUALIZATION
27
03
Brand Personas Creating personas allows considering goals, motivations, and possibilities for a new brand. Personas help to make objective decisions about the products and services. They will also help with focusing on the primary needs and expectations of the important aspects of the brand.
Target Audiences Audiences Not In Range
Target Audiences Caring Dad ZHANG YUN
Zhang is a thoughtful dad who believes that everyone is responsible for conserving the environment for future generations.
41 / Male / Chinese / Program Manager Richmond, CA Zhang encourages his family and friends to adopt green practices because he cares about the future of the next generation. He spends weekends with his children because he wants to be a good dad. He installed solar panels at his house because he cares about the environment and tries to use renewable energy. He thinks his children can make mistakes because he believes that they would learn from their mistakes. He drinks lots of water in a glass cup instead of drinking bottled water because it is good for his health and the environment. He reads books and watches documentaries because he loves learning and share his knowledge. He enjoys talking/meeting with his coworkers because he believes communication is an important team skill.
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New Eco-Mom MIA ROSSI
Mia is a new eco-mom who cares her baby and the environment. She is willing to participate in programs that can inform more about effective strategy for sustainable living.
32 / Female / Italian / Interior Designer Los Aneles, CA Mia is interested in buying environmentally friendly products because she thinks it is safe for her newborn baby. She checks on food labels because she wants to ensure safety and make better choices. She wants to educate herself about sustainable living because she wants to enhance her life. She asks to get old baby clothes from her friends because she thinks buying extra new clothes is a waste. She enjoys organic tea because she believes it will increase her lifespan. She uses a sketchbook made with recycled papers because she believes it would help to reduce the usage of wood. She follows people who are experts in ethical living on social media because it is the way how she gets useful tips.
BRAND PERSONAS
TARGET AUDIENCES
32
Good Listener AMITA MANGAL
Amita is an energetic and optimistic student who wants to empower teenagers and fulfill their needs. She also wants teenagers to learn about social and environmental responsibility.
22 / Female / Indian / Student Fremont, CA Amita volunteers for the youth counseling center because she had a great mentor when she was young and now she also wants to become a good mentor for teenagers. She brings a tumbler with her to school and volunteer place because she is aware of the waste of plastics. She enjoys thrifting because she can save money while recycling clothes, and in turn, reducing waste. She listens to true crime podcasts during her lunch breaks because she enjoys listening to stories. She is part of the Bhangra club at school because she wants to stay close to her roots and refresh herself. She enjoys reading books because it opens her eyes to new perspectives and ideas that allow her to be more open-minded. She usually studies with her friends because it provides the opportunity to ask questions to each other.
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Animal Lover MARK SMITH
Mark is a warmhearted owner of three dogs. He thinks reducing waste is crucial for saving the environment.
59 / Male / Canadian / Retired Mechanical Engineer Seattle, WA Mark has three dogs and he often goes for walk with them because it is crucial for a healthy living. He doesn’t wear clothes made with real animal fur because he read an article about fur industry and it is very cruel. He listens to classical music because he wants to improve his quality of sleep. He encourages his family to purchase fair trade certified products because he believes it is ethical. He regularly donates money to animal shelters and environmental organizations because he wants to support them effectively. He has grown his hobby of woodworking with found materials because he wants to save natural resources. He held a garage sale with his wife because he wants to reduce waste in his home.
BRAND PERSONAS
TARGET AUDIENCES
33
Online Feminist AMY LEE
Amy is a friendly feminist who wants to become a person who positively impacts the world and enhacne her life.
28 / Female / Korean American / Vlogger San Francisco, CA As a social media influencer, Amy starts every morning catching up on the daily news because she wants to stay up to date with current events, the latest fashion trends, and hot topics. She is planning to launch her own cruelty-free cosmetics brands because she wants to encourage people for ethical buying. She tries different eco-friendly brands/products and provides honest reviews because her main focus is on sharing useful tips of sustainable living. She enjoys going on night runs by the lake because it helps her de-stress and refocus after a long day. She loves learning languages because it helps her to communicate better with her audiences/subscribers. She attends a women’s book club every Saturday morning because she wants to stay connected to people offline on a consistent basis. She and her boyfriend hope to live in different places around the world together because they want to be culturally aware through their own experiences.
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Green Adventurer THOMAS BARAK
Thomas is a green adventurer who is dedicated to minimizing a bad impact on nature. He thinks everyone should be treated with the same equality and respect.
36 / Male / Turkish / Iocal Tour Guide Chicago, IL Thomas wants to help to keep the environment healthy because he thinks tourism is susceptible to the impacts of climate change. He prefers to buy personal care products that are not harmful to the environment because he wants to reduce the bad impacts. He is interested in sustainable travel or green touring because he wants to find out what he can do for nature. He treats all clients the same and provides the best service because he believes everyone is equal. In his free time, he enjoys hiking/camping because he wants to strengthen his physical and mental health. Instead of going out to eat, he usually invites his coworkers and friends to his home to have a potluck featuring global foods because they can feed their brain and their stomachs while saving money. He loves talking with people from different cultures because he wants to get diverse insights from them.
BRAND PERSONAS
TARGET AUDIENCES
35
Audiences Not in Range Beauty Outsider JAYMIE SCOTT
Jaymie is a student who cares about her appearance and convenience over anyone or anything else in her life.
19 / Female / African American / Part-Time Waitress/Student Location: New York, NY After her work, Jaymie enjoys drinking a sweet beverage when she is on her way home. She uses a takeout cup because it is convenient for her. She loves throwing parties although she is living in a small rental unit. She mostly uses disposable plates and cutlery because she does not have many cookwares and dishes. She knows about cruelty-free cosmetics but she doesn’t buy them because she cares more about the name of the brand and the effectiveness of the product. She buys fancy packaging products because aesthetics/appearance is important for her. She showers for at least 40 mins every morning and ends every night with a bath because she is a think-in-the-shower kind of person. She enjoys online shopping even though it produces lots of packaging waste because it is convenient. She doesn’t join any club or volunteer work at school because she thinks it is time-consuming things to do.
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Thoughtless Manager STEFAN MULLER
Stefan is a narrow-minded manager who doesn’t care about social and environmental issues.
45 / Male / German / Restaurant Manager San Jose, CA Stefan ignores the instructions when throwing away trash, compost, and recyclables both at home and when he’s outside because he thinks people don’t really recycle. His restaurant doesn’t use eco-friendly food containers because they are more expensive. He thinks homeless people on the street are helpless but he doesn’t want to help them either because he has negative stereotypes about them. When he is on his phone in public, he speaks loudly because he doesn’t care about the people around him. Whenever he shops at a grocery store, he says no to donating for charity when a cashier asks because he thinks it is not necessary. He enjoys watching movies at home rather than spending time with his friends because he feels more comfortable alone. He only dines out to a few restaurants and orders his favorite dishes because he doesn’t enjoy trying new things.
BRAND PERSONAS
TARGET AUDIENCES
37
04
Brand Competitors Knowing the competitors of our brand will help to find out differentiators from other existing brands. It will also help to communicate well with the target audience. They can be resources of inspiration for creative and innovative services and products.
Current Competitors Adjacent Competitors Future Competitors
Current Competitors Current competitors show the position, values, and rivals of the current Esprit. They use sustainable materials to produce their products and many of them take additional actions to protect our nature.
PATAGONIA
EILEEN FISHER
This California brand is a mainstay on this list for its bold moves towards longer-lasting products, emphasis on only buying what you need and the strides they have made in shaping a more socially and environmentally responsible industry.
Eileen Fisher is an American clothing brand that practices business responsibly with absolute regard for human rights for women. They also guide their product and practice toward sustaining our environment.
COLUMBIA
PACT
Columbia creates enduring, iconic, and innovative products that ensure people to enjoy the outdoors longer. The brand combines their approach to product creation with their commitment to consumers, communities, and the environment.
Pact is an leading brand in sustainable and ethical fashion. Using only organic fabrics and Fair Trade factories to design stylish essential clothing.
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PEOPLE TREE
REFORMATION
Not only is People Tree clothing Fair Trade-certified, but it’s eco-friendly, organic, and made with GOTS-approved dyes. The brand even prints its labels on FSC-certified paper. The company also pays its workers ethical living wages.
Reformation uses ethical and sustainable methods to produce its chic, fashion-forward apparel line, all inside green and eco-friendly buildings.
TENTREE
AMOUR VERT
Tentree upholds the highest standards for people and the planet throughout its clothing manufacturing process. The company plants ten trees for each item purchased.
The principle of brand is that great fashion and sustainability can coexist peacefully. They produce their products with non-toxic dyes and zero-waste methods. Moreover, with each purchase of a tee, a new tree is planted.
BODEN
THREADS 4 THOUGHT
Boden uses sustainable and organic cotton whenever possible, builds partnerships around the world, and is ethical in every step of the supply chain.
Threads 4 Thought is in an effort to create a more sustainable fashion and textile industry. The company has evolved from just basic tees to an inspiring lifestyle brand committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
BRAND COMPETITORS
CURRENT COMPETITORS
41
Adjacent Competitors From cosmetics to personal care products, from artisans to farmers. This category shows that various brands are dedicated to conserve the environment and ensure the quality of life.
TOMS
BURT’S BEES
The promise of Toms is to deliver a pair of free shoes to a child in need for every sale of their retail product. The shoes are always given to children through humanitarian organizations that incorporate shoes into their community development programs.
Burt’s bees is a subsidiary of Clorox that describes itself as an earth friendly, natural personal care company making products for personal care, health, beauty, and personal hygiene. They are committed to supporting the communities and environments where we source our ingredients.
SEVENTH GENERATION
LUSH
The leading brand of green cleaning products, baby diapers, laundry detergent, paper towels, dish soap, tampons, tissues, paper towels, and baby wipes.
Their belief is creating more than just fun, gorgeous products for the bath, body, and shower. They have been fighting against animal testing. They actively choose ingredients from companies that don’t commission tests on animals.
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TARTE
THE BODY SHOP
Tarte is an leading cosmetics brand offering eco-chic, cruelty-free cosmetics & hypoallergenic, vegan skin care. They support the communities where their most iconic ingredients are sourced.
Their mission is to enrich their products, people and planet. They work fairly with their farmers and suppliers and helping communities thrive through their community trade programs, being vegetarian and always and forever being firmly against animal testing.
DIXIE
NUMI Numi’s vision is to inspire well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Through authenticity, creativity, and commitment to people and planet, we bring you the purest, best-tasting organic tea.
They have created recyclable products that make our lives easier. The products are from the first disposable paper cup to the strong and stylish modern plates. The brand is committed to promoting responsible forestry practices.
FAIR SQUARED
SOKO
Fair Squared is an alternative trade organization. They produce cosmetics and healthcare products that are certified Fair-Trade, vegan and organic.
Soko works with artisan entrepreneurs around the globe, helping them to build businesses, improve production capacity, and increase income. The fair trade jewelry brand is pioneering an innovative approach that empowers marginalized artisans.
BRAND COMPETITORS
ADJACENT COMPETITORS
43
Future Competitors Large numbers of non-profit organizations are funding or providing practical services to solve many different social and environmental issues. Research of future competitors is vital because it is helpful to find out the potential future directions for the new Esprit.
SMALL AXE WOODSHOP
ALLEN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER
Small Axe is a conscious, socially and environmentally responsible woodshop that specializes in making professional grade, artisanal cutting boards for consumers. Their finishing products are made with 100% organic and FDA approved ingredients.
Allen Neighborhood Center is a place-based organization that serves as a hub for neighborhood revitalization and for activities that promote the health and well-being of Lansing’s Eastside community and other stakeholders.
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS
KYNDER Their eco-conscious platform brings together the best hotels, cafes, bars and restaurants in Europe and the USA who are eco-friendly, humane, kind and community loving.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help all children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with volunteer mentors. Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of the oldest and largest youth guiding organizations in the United States.
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
EXPLORATORIUM
TERRACYCLE
Exploratorium is a public learning laboratory exploring the world through science, art, and human perception. The brand mission is to create inquiry-based experiences that transform learning.
TerraCycle is a social enterprise on a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. The brand offers a range of national, easy-to-use recycling platforms allowing everyone to recycle everything.
GOODWILL Goodwill is an American nonprofit organization that provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for people who have barriers preventing them from otherwise obtaining a job.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE The International Trade Centre is a multilateral agency which has a joint mandate with the World Trade Organization and the United Nations through the United Nations Conference on Trade and Sustainable Development.
BRAND COMPETITORS
AWID The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) is an membership organization committed to strengthening the visibility of women’s issues on the international stage. They advocate for and present policy proposals for women’s rights to help connect different interest groups.
ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATION The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a UK registered charity which aims to inspire a generation to rethink, redesign & build a positive future through the framework of a circular economy.
FUTURE COMPETITORS
45
SCHOOL Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
COURSE GR 604: Nature of Identity
INSTRUCTOR Hunter Wimmer
TYPOGRAPHY Freight Display Pro FF Tisa Sans
IMAGE SOURCE unsplash.com pexels.com rawpixel.coom pixabay.com openingceremony.com stock.adobe.com
DESIGN Jooyoung (Eileen) Yoon
