GUIDELINES
CONTENTS
OUR BRAND MESSAGE OUR BRAND HISTORY OUR BRAND PROMSIE OUR BRAND PERSONALITY OUR BRANDS VALUES ETHICAL STANCE PRIMARY CUSTOMER SECONDARY CUSTOMER MARKETING MIX LOGOS PRIMARY COLOUR PALETTE FONT FAMILY TAGLINE GRAPHICS TONE OF VOICE VISUAL COMMUNICATION
OUR MESSAGE
WE ARE BRITIAN Since the first Red or Dead stall opened in 1982 we continually pride ourselves on our unique touch to British fashion and accessories. We will always highlight non mainstream and controversial ideas through creative energy which is empathized through our products. As a brand we will always remain authentic, promote individualism, care for our followers and continue to make and connect the way we have for 30 years. We will always bring social awareness to the public and continue to break the rules of fashion by promoting Red or Dead. So sit back with a cuppa and enjoy this dive into Red or Dead’s past, present and future.
OUR HISTORY
DEEP DIVE INTO RED OR DEAD
1982 Wayne and Geraldine Hemingway set up the first Red or Dead stall in Camden market. Their aim was to produce affordable clothing for the masses. And with their love for self styling they tattracted the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier and Demi Moore to their stalls.
Wayne and Geraldine reinvented the early 80s silhouette of tight dresses and heels by replacing the heels with Dr marten boots. Making them the first to sell the worker book as a fashion shoe. This was a big part in their initial success as the reimagined the boot with customisations.
1987- Power of celeb The iconic watch shoe was worn by Teen Band Bros making it a sell out style.
In the 1980s Geraldine’s designs were noticed and brought by Macys in New York.
Kylie Minogue was also photographed on the cover of 1988 single ‘Got to be Certain’ wearing Red or Dead shoes.
With increased demand for Red or Dead produced, 1986 marked the launch of their first shop in Rupert Street Soho followed by Neal street, Covent Garden.
1986 Red or Dead launched their own range of footwear The chunky sole with rounded toes and quirky details soon became a signature look for Red or Dead.
Became 3-time recipient of the British fashion council’s street style award.
1990s Because of their unconventional style Red or Dead was embraced by 90s pop culture, seen weekly on Ab Fab and worn by Pulp and the Spice Girls.
1990- Space Baby A stylish and futuristic design of a space helmet drawn over a baby head became an iconic print for Red or Dead. Space Baby became one of Red or Dead first catwalks and achieved sky high sales. The design was featured on all Red or Dead products from clothes, to bags and Dr martens (which were the most popular). The collection gained international praise and put Red or Dead on the world fashion scene.
1991 The Red or Dead collection started to expand misbranded T-shirts reference popular British brands such as refresher sweets and OXO cubes were reinvented with a sense of humour causing an industry stir.
1992- Made in England Red or dead continued to live and play on their controversial status with the release of the Gurner print. The Gurner print was based of a Gurner named Treacle with a double entendre referencing the facial expression associated with the drug Acid that was prominent in the 90s.
The controversy didn’t end their though the ‘Shopping collection’ poked at corporate culture and branding. Logos were re hashed with a twist such as Lego became Rego, Jaffa became Naffa and the most controversial Shell became Hell.
1994 – Prisoner print The BFC proposed for designers to showcase fashion made by prisoners. Red or dead took the proposal on board and created a collection inspired by prison life. They even took it one step further and proposed a paid production line with prisoners to manufacture the collection. However, people did have their criticism but that was nothing new to Red or Dead and it brought social enterprise to life.
Russian doll prints Red or Dead became well known in the fashion industry for turning to one place for inspiration for one collection and a different one for the next. This was no different for the Russian doll print collection. Prints features Babushka dolls on dresses and featured on a catwalk modelled by all ages.
1993-Eat less protein The eat less protein collection featured Stanley greens placard on dresses and T-shirts. Stanley was an English political activist that also caused a lot of controversy with his eat less protein protest.
1994- Blue lady print As a fan of kitsch and the Tretchikoff print the design team wanted to transform it into something new. They took the 70s print and transformed it into a blue lady print donning some beautiful elegance dresses.
1995- New York skyline The New York skyline collection played with showmanship to its full extent by using Naomi Campbells mum Valerie to model one of the looks. Aiming to poke at the cult of the super model the catwalk followed typical Red or Dead style with an extravagant show featuring dwarfs, pit-bull terriers and TV presenter Amanda de Cadenet.
1996 Despite all the publicity Red or Dead was getting it wasn’t achieving its full potential so Wayne and Geraldine decided to sell the business to Pentland due to their record in building brands. However, they still continued to be involved in designs and sales.
1995- butterfly collection The butterfly collection aimed to capture the mid 90s romanticism. The print was formed from a scrapbook butterfly printed in many colours and on fabrics from satin to silk with embellishments. Bond girl Britt Ekland was even photographed wearing one of the dresses in Hello! Magazine.
1997- Guru Inspired by classic paisley the Guru print was laid over with cut outs of religious gurus from Muslim, Sikh and Indian faith. Although the collection intended to celebrate harmony but instead caused outrage with the public wdenting Red or Dead’s status
1996- New York dolls 1996 also brought the most controversial show to date. The New York dolls catwalk saw the models being disturbed house wife’s with knifes knitting needles, scissors and blood.
In 1995 the Hemmingways also sold Red or Dead to Facia group
Late 90s Red or dead turned to their heritage for their collections and footwear remained the backbone of the company. In 1999 space baby relaunched with branded heels and space baby printed across the straps.
2001/02 The EVA wedge redefined the flip slop as fashionable footwear
2004-Schuh takeover Schuh have been buying footwear since the early 2000s onwards and in 2004 Schuh brought the exclusive licensees for Red or Dead footwear to keep up with the demand.
2002 The rainbow court shoe became so popular, many variations were released with accessories and the metal heel being adapted across a range of designs.
2003 Pentland started to explore the possibilities of a new clothing line. Peep show was developed with New Renaissance to promote Red or Dead. Two further Red or Dead collections were shown at London fashion week. Save the Allotment SS04 and Dead posh AW04 2003 Specsavers launch Red or Dead launched its first collection of eyewear with Specsavers. The collection featured a range of specs with the infamous prints on the temple. With the tattoo frame
2010- Sea spray 2010 brought the Sea Spray swimwear collection capturing nostalgic prints and vintage shapes. The swimwear was ideal for the playful graphic prints that are associated with Red or Dead.
2009 Red or Dead started selling clothes through BANK clothing, featuring bold prints, slogans and accessories. Circus was the first Red or Dead collection at BANK which gave both companies the chance to explore what they could do with a clothing range
2011- Raleigh bike With the rise in the Urban cyclist the bike became apart of style. Raleigh bikes got a red or dead touch with eye catching graphics covering the bikes. These bikes became a fashionable choice for females and received a lot of positive publicity with designs appearing in Vogue and The Guardian.
2011-cancer researchWith an ongoing partnership with cancer research the creative team designed bespoke Red or Dead artwork for red or dead products to be sold only through the charity. Overall they raised over 60K.
2012- Brand turns 30 To celebrate produced its first exhibition to showcase 30 years of Red or Dead. To give the event a unique twist and it was a pearl anniversary, red or dead decided to decorated clothes in pearl buttons to raise
2015- Return to the runway Red or dead returned to the catwalk in collaboration with Ashley Williams. Was a 7-piece range entitled was #MakingMovies for SS15 and #improve you image was the AW15 range- all of which was exclusive to schuh
2014- Mad in England Red or dead launched a new range of specs titled Mad in England. it features a new innovate range with one frame with 3 detachable magnetic brows to transform your look 2013- Red or Dead X Pamela Mann Red or Dead collaborates with hosiery brand Pamela Mann with a new range of tights with fun slogans and prints
As a label with no boundaries we promise to always remain true to our roots by always customising and making everything our own. We always aspire for something a little different, from our products to our marketing we aim to have great design across all platforms. By remaining non elitist we will always put our middle finger to the mundane and create trend setting products for a fabulous rebellion for the wider community. We also promise to target the community that wants to stand out in the sea of normality and want something non conformist.
BRAND PROMISE
MIDDLE FINGER TO THE MUNDANE
BRAND PERSONALITY
MORE IS MORE, LESS IS BORE Red or Dead’s personality has and always will be at heart of the brand and is constantly reflected in every aspect. Our vintage DNA most certainty our main trait as well as injecting British humour into everything we do. But Just like our customers we will always remain non conformist and use eclectic brit design throughout our products.
WITTY
CHEEKY
QUIRKY
SAUVE
REBELLIOUS
ACCENTRIC
PLAYFUL
BOLD KITSCH
SOCIABLE
BRAND VALUES
MAKE THE UNCOOL COOL Red or dead always encourages all employees and third parties to live by our brand values. We encourage passion, courage, creativity and constant learning in all our staff. This ensures we produce the highest quality products for our consumer and will always remain true to our roots. We will always stick to ours guns and reflect the desires and lifestyles of the younger generation wanting affordable fashion. Our customer will always be at the core of our values and we will always be versatile and create androgynous products for everyone. We also value our non elitist and non conformist promise by creating trend setting products which includes humour and social commentary about wider issues. At Red or Dead we will always go back to our values when creating under the brand to ensure we always stay true to our roots and create bonds with our consumer.
As a non conformist brand we believe in fighting the many ethical issues that effect the fashion industry today. Having a fair wage and no modern slavery is an issue we take very seriously and take great pride in paying above the average of minimal wage. We also don’t believe in the use of sweat shops which is reflected in the quality of our products as each product is crafted by a trusted manufacture. We will always stick up for the little guy and always try stop cruelty within the fashion industry one small step at a time.
ETHICS
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
PRIMARY CUSTOMER
THE GEEKS Aged 28-38 Socially engaged Short attention span Activist Androgynous leisure focused Buys fashion based on experience Loves a sale Politically aware Little brand loyalty Likes a festival /party Gender neutral Buys heavily into nostalgia Mix of high street vintage and brands Not afraid to be who they want to be
Aged 38-40 Loyal to favourite brands Holds onto items for a long time Loves a bargain Socially aware Buys fashion based on values Work- life balance Quality is important Youth orientated Individuality over conformity Music, art, fashion savvy Buys highstreet and same designer
SECONDARY CUSTOMER
THE FREAKS
MARKETING MIX
THE 4PS
Products
Price
Footwear •At Red or Dead we pride ourselves in our high •At Red or Dead we currently offer footwear for men and quality products. Due to this our products are a women and Glasses for teens and women. little bit more pricey putting us in the Mid •At Red or Dead we pride ourselves in our cutting edge market slightly above Mass market style and high quality of shoes. •We are proud in the quality of our products and •Sold exclusively on Schuh there is 87 styles for women’s believe that our price reflects the time and effort footwear and 11 styles for men’s footwear available to buy. gone into each and every product •All footwear also comes in a mixture of suede and leather •Our footwear will range between £35 - £115 depending on style and our Glasses are from Glasses £99 •Sold in Specsavers •Unique to the brand our 2017 collection was our most innovative yet with interchangeable sides for personalisation. •Currently our glasses range is 15 pairs of glasses for females and 3 pairs for teens.
•At Red or Dead we use social media as our main promotional platform. •Instagram, Facebook and Twitter is where we put most of our content from photos of products, what the team is up to and short videos and gifs. •As for our licencing partners Schuh and Specsavers. On each website there is an short introduction of Red or Dead as you enter the Red or Dead product page. •In store Point of Sale unfortunately has it limitations due to being stocked with many other products. Guidelines usually restrict us to a few posters so we aim to make these as stand out as possible to attract costumers.
Place
•Red or Dead products are currently stock online and in store at Schuh and Specsavers. •Currently the Footwear is only based in the UK but the glasses are also available in Europe. •As a brand we rely on Licencing from companies as we believe that is the direction of the brand. This does mean that we don’t have a stand alone store but by working with other companies allows our products to be available all over the UK.
MARKETING MIX
Promotion
BRAND ASSETS
DO’S: Use correct colour- white if on coloured background/ image, otherwise tuquoise (Pantone 7474C)
DON’TS: Warp or edit logos Don’t add gradient Don’t use multiple colours Dont change letter scale
LOGO GUDIELINES
LOGOS
COLOUR PALLETE
PRIMARY COLOUR PALLETE
FONT FAMILIES Our font families have been carefully selected for Red or Dead. Both type faces are bold, simple, understandable and universal to best communicate our messages.
HELVETICA NEUE FONT FAMILY
FUTURA PT FONT FAMILY
REGULAR: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuzwxyz
DEMI ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
MEDUIM ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuzwxyz
Heavy ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
BOLD ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuzwxyz
Bold ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
TYPEFACES
Helvetica Neue must always be used for general copy and Futura PT for titles and headings as it is more bold.
TAGLINE
“BRINGING ECLECTIC BRIT DESIGN SINCE 1982”
Red or Dead’s main graphics include dots and strips and scrapbook style cut outs. We use these graphics as they add an extra touch to our imagery and content which makes us stand out against the crowd
GRAPHICS
GRAPHICS
TONE OF VOICE
HOW WE TALK At Red or Dead we want our tone of voice to reflect the personality of the brand and the team behind it. We like to keep the British Witt about us by using a lot of play on words, cheesy
puns and stereotypical English words such as Dapper.
We also like to keep our tone very casual as if we were having a conversation with our customer. We like to steer away from complicated language and have a chat with our customer about the products. Typically, Red or Dead copy will be written in a blog style format to ensure it remains casual but informative.
As a brand we like to be creative with our imagery and moving image and not have to many boundaries to reflect us as a non conformist brand. But to ensure we keep a strong visual identity we do have a few rules when it comes to creative content. Unconventional looking models Create images that are gender neutral to appeal to the majority female audience but not alienating the perspective male audience Feature male and female models when appropriate Use and create imagery with constant visual style Create visuals that can evoke nostalgia
PHOTOGRAPHY & MOVING IMAGE
VISUAL IDENTITY