Platinum Visual Systems
When we began working with Platinum, they already had a solid business as a manufacturer of premium boards, sliding units, and display units in a wide range of industries such as education, health care, and business. With the starting point idea of the creativity inherent to their products, we knew there was an opportunity to connect emotionally with their audience and stand out in the crowded marketplace.INDUSTRY
- COMMERCIAL ACCESSORIES
SERVICES
- BRAND DEVELOPMENT
- PACKAGING
- PHOTOGRAPHY
- PRINTED COLLATERAL
- SPACE DESIGN
- WEBSITE
Strategy: Brand Platform
We conducted an in-depth competitive audit and analyzed current industry trends in order to help Platinum find their unique niche in the marketplace. Unique tagline and brand story options further communicated each brand positioning. Simplicity, innovation, and expression became the foundation for the new brand positioning. The new brand look and feel was brought to life by boards that illustrated the three unique positioning approaches through words and images. Each direction included proposed photography style, color palettes, and design inspiration.
Identity: Logo & Stationery
Our logo explorations ranged from clever wordmarks to icons that expressed the concepts of creativity and ingenuity. The final logo mark was two interlocking shapes that formed an abstract P letterform, representing the modularity and construction of the boards. It was encapsulated in a square shape to further reference the shape of a board. The mark was paired with a proprietary wordmark design with rounded edges and a ligature between the L and A letterforms. The stationery design was clean and simple on the front, with expressive doodles flooding the back on a bold, orange background for personality.
Packaging: Whiteboard Cleaner
Platinum needed a new design for their proprietary whiteboard cleaner product. Our solution was a juxtaposition of graphic angles to create visual interest, with the background grey color block contrasting the angles of the whiteboard product. Doodle illustrations brought a touch of personality to the label without overwhelming the design.
Photography: Product
Clean and straightforward product photography allowed the user to evaluate the design of each individual piece. We paid careful attention to matching angles, shadows, and lighting on these very large products for consistency throughout the collateral.
Printed Collateral: Product Catalogs
Our big idea for the new brand for visual display manufacturer Platinum was creativity — the boards and display products enabled the end user to express themselves in their own individual manner. Bold, simple hero photography of carefully styled characters with different boards set the tone for the simple yet imaginative design concept. Environmental photos visualized the broad range of spaces in which the product lives; custom “doodles” brought the spaces to life and hinted at the various target market segments. Playful copywriting enhanced each character’s story in a unique voice.
Photography: Lifestyle
The evolution of the Platinum brand involved bringing the idea of individual expression to life through model photography. Carefully styled subjects interacting with Platinum products made for a direct yet playful representation of their market segments. Various expressions, poses, and personalities communicated the wide range of possibilities when using Platinum products. Each composition was carefully planned to ensure adequate space for typography and compositing in the new brochure and website applications.
Advertising: Print Ads
The expressive brand approach and elements were taken one step further in the advertising imagery with playful interactions between the photos, type, and products. Lifestyle and product photos were combined with clever copy to communicate the product’s features and benefits.
Digital Media: Responsive Website
Our new design for the Platinum website was inspired by the imagination of the product line, communicated through bold photography, playful doodles, and clever copy. Improvements to product presentation and navigation helped to make it easy for customers to quickly find the product they are looking for, while encouraging them to learn about additional products and the Platinum brand.
Winner, American Web Design Awards + American Web Design Awards
Space: Trade Show Booth
Two unique, bold solutions extended the brand to a large format space and brought attention to the booth in a crowded show environment. To streamline the production budget, a stock booth structure was utilized.
Brand Development: Sub Brand Naming
Platinum had developed a line of whiteboards and tackboards with a respected industrial designer, to target buyers with an eye for design. To separate the new line from the core Platinum products, a sub brand name was needed that would embody the feeling of the sophisticated designs while flowing with the Platinum name. After an extensive exploration, we settled on the name “Brilliant by Platinum” which embodied the creative spirit of the product line while referencing the smart designs created by the industrial designer. The logo was a clean, bold wordmark with customized, rounded letterforms and an abstract thought bubble emerging out of the period at the end.
Space: Sub Brand Web Page
To help communicate the lifestyle of the product, we needed to show the products within an environment to help the customer imagine the big picture of a room design. Since the product line was still in production, a rendering was the best solution for showcasing the new designs. We created a clean, contemporary office setting to best connect with the design-savvy audience. The web page for Brilliant by Platinum was clean, bold and simple. The design combined the space rendering with product photos and clever copy to quickly communicate the product design and features.
Digital Media: Sub Brand Brochure
Platinum needed a small, simple printed piece for Brilliant to distribute at trade shows and via direct mail. Our solution was a thin, long format with a clever tri-fold with a play on words at the seam. The cover was die cut with the thought bubble part of the logo for visual interest and tactility.
