RacksBrax brand design and strategy

If there was a creative ‘dream project’ – this would be it!

Over the past 12 months, Salt Design has worked on an amazing creative project bringing to life a new product.
It has provided us the opportunity to apply our professional skills across the full range of design and branding application, including…

Branding development

• Logo development
• Branding architecture

Our initial design brief was to develop the logo and brand architecture for the ‘parent’ product – RacksBrax. Our client’s brief was to create a strong, confident, quality mark – attractive to the 4×4 vehicle/outdoor/adventure audience, yet not too ‘blokey’.

Logo

Our solution is a strong typographic mark which is an interplay between the product name and its link to the 4×4 market.

Colour & graphic treatment

Colour is an important element to the success of the branding. Our research indicated that our colour palette would stand out against the common automotive and outdoor accessories marketplace. We developed a colour palette which is rich and vibrant, and versatile to suit multiple combinations.

A dynamic visual link across the brand is the emphasis of the RacksBrax “X”.

Taglines

Sitting in our studio, dreaming of our own outdoor escape – we realised the perfect tagline … because what’s better than taking off on your next adventure to the great outdoors! Promotion of the brand required key statements to explain the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the product.

The ‘why’: “Take off on your next adventure” communicates the end goal – conveying the emotive reason to buy a RacksBrax Hitch.

The ‘how’: “Fast on Fast off” provides an easy-to-recall message which resonates with the simplicity of the accessory’s purpose.

Having some fun with the key message!

We also created and refined much of the content that appears on the packaging, website and promotional brochures. As a means of connecting with our ideal customers and getting them to recognise the life-changing solution RacksBrax provides – we presented a ‘relaxed, fun vibe’ to the content. We then developed a series of ‘from-to’ statements which extend the brand story – providing multiple scenarios and uses for the product range.

Packaging

Working with an Engineer has it’s advantages! Our client was able to calculate product measurements and technical specifications long before the product was coming off the assembly line! This information was then utilised so we could develop the customised packaging.

Our expertise in packaging design, teamed with our print production experience, enabled us to design and print a single packaging solution to suit not one, but three different product variations. Considerations included production methods, costs and timeframes. We collaborated with local print packaging suppliers Platypus Print Packaging to develop prototypes to ensure the most effective solution. Already the market’s reaction to the packaging design has been resoundingly positive and is establishing the brand as high quality and well-established – just as our client’s brief had required.

Photographic direction

Having the right images to ‘tell the story’ was vital to communicating the purpose and value of this new product.

Salt Design coordinated the initial image requirements – focusing on how images could be used to explain the technical installation and use of the product. Also vital was to develop a library of ‘hero’ or ‘happy life’ images – provocative images of how life will be so much better with a RacksBrax Hitch fitted to your roof-rack accessory!

Salt Design provided direction throughout the 2 x full-day photoshoots with Dean from ALLISLIGHT. We provided vehicles, props and even model talent! It was quite an exciting day on location at the far end of Bribie Island . . . a 3.00am start to the day was just part of the joy – and got us the money shot sunrise images!

Promotional collateral

• Promotional brochures
• Trade marque and feather banners
• Custom-made demonstration stand
• Promotional coupon stickers
• Bumper stickers
• Influencer pack graphics
• Promotional t-shirts
• Corporate uniform graphics

Developing a product from idea to retail shelf was just one part of this project. Creating a strategy and developing promotional resources to inform and engage with target customers was another.

Face-to-face promotion of RacksBrax will be at expos and tradeshows (wherever there’s a crowd of enthusiastic adventurers!). It was fabulous to visit the very first RacksBrax Tradeshow – where all of our designs came together as such an exciting presentation!

Online promotion

The strategy to generating large unit sales for Racksbrax relies on their availability for purchase online. It was imperative that the user experience be a streamlined, simple transaction on a website which informs and reassures the buyer of the quality product they are investing in. Salt Design collaborated with our client and their technical sales support IT team to design and construct the Shopify site.

Although this interface has some restrictions and presented some challenges, we successfully created a website which is engaging, informative and compelling to potential customers.

Australian Made, Australian owned – Australian Designed!

We are so proud to see a local family realise their innovative idea. We wholeheartedly applaud their insistence to have a product which has been engineered, developed and made here in Australia. Oh – and designed locally (by us) too!

Because everything is better with a sprinkle of salt!
SALT.Shaker