Writer's Perspective
The "Writer's Perspective" is a visual documentation of my childhood writings. I recreated the feelings visually using a palate mix of orange white, grey and black. Orange and white represent the happy memories while grey and back account for the sad ones. The project is a mix of non-face portraits and object photography.
Overview
Positioning Flatheads as the go-to sneaker brand known for its exceptionally comfortable and lightweight shoes.
Problem :
The footwear market is experiencing a notable transition from mainstream, bulky sports shoes to niche micro-brand offerings prioritizing premium materials, all-day comfort, and sustainable practices. While prominent shoe brands have traditionally focused on sport-specific designs like running or badminton shoes, there exists a gap in providing ethically sourced, sustainable, and stylish casual footwear suitable for prolonged wear. Wearing chunky sports shoes for extended office hours proves uncomfortable and impractical.
Objective:
Our objective is to position Flatheads as a brand which offers universally loved comfortable shoes. We'll accomplish this by implementing brand campaigns and branding strategies that underscore our unwavering dedication to comfort and simplicity.
Design Process
Understanding user persona: The project began with an in-depth user study that concentrated on individuals within the age bracket of 18-35. To ensure a thorough understanding of our target audience, we segmented participants into different groups based on their lifestyles and occupations. This segmentation included categories such as office goers, college students, young entrepreneurs, and other relevant demographics.Through this user study, we sought to gain insights into the distinct characteristics, preferences, and behaviors of each user persona. By delving into their daily routines, challenges, aspirations, and interests, we aimed to create a comprehensive profile for each segment.
The ultimate goal of this user study was to refine our target segmentation for performance ads. By understanding the unique needs and preferences of each user persona, we could tailor our advertising strategies to effectively engage and resonate with our target audience. This approach allowed us to optimize our marketing efforts and enhance the overall effectiveness of our campaigns.
Understanding brand archetype: Following our thorough exploration of user personas, we delved deeper into understanding the brand archetype for Flatheads. After careful consideration, we identified the Everyman archetype as the most fitting representation for the brand. The Everyman archetype embodies qualities of humility, authenticity, and simplicity. These brands eschew extravagance and instead focus on celebrating the beauty of everyday life, accessible to all. They aim to connect with a wide audience by offering practical products that cater to diverse needs and preferences.
Score of the brand across different brand personas
Creating brand identity: We collaborated with Opposite HQ to develop a brand identity that aligned with our narrative and research findings. This involved defining key visual elements such as the logo, color palette, and typography to resonate with our audience and convey Flatheads' values of comfort and simplicity.
Curating ad campaigns: As a result of this process, we developed brand and performance marketing campaigns. These campaigns aimed to resonate with the brand's identity through lifestyle and product photoshoots. We aimed to create visually engaging content that would connect with our target audience on a deeper level. The videos and images captured during these shoots served as powerful storytelling tools, effectively conveying Flatheads' identity and positioning in the market.
Final Product
Brand campaign 1 - Ridiculously Comfortable : When it comes to our super sleek, 2 mile shoes, there is nothing else to discuss. but comfort. Whether it’s taking a bite of your favourite comfort food or crawling into bed after a busy day, we are all too familiar with that feeling of comfort that everyone comes running back to. Now imagine that feeling, packed into every stitch in your shoe. Well, that’s kind of what we do at Flatheads. Except that, we like to make our shoes ridiculously comfortable. In this campaign with our Troos range, we ideated a one-of-a kind, "absurd" narrative to go along our idea of "Ridiculousness"
Brand campaign 2 - Lighter than air: If you thought it couldn’t get any better than our ridiculously comfortable sneakers, we have some news for you.We did it again. We designed a lighter, more breathable, showstopping piece called Luft. This all day sneaker is easy to slip on, supremely breathable and gorgeous to look at. In this particular shoot with our Luft range, we decided to play with exaggeration. We tried overstating the features and creating some drama around the features of the shoe.
Performance marketing ads: Below is a grid featuring a series of social media posts and performance marketing creatives
Project team
Despite Flatheads' modest size, every team member contributed significantly to executing our art direction and performance marketing strategy. As the art director, I led all aspects of our photoshoots and designed every campaign, spanning both performance and social media initiatives. This involved close collaboration with the marketing, product, and operations teams, allowing me to gain a comprehensive understanding of our business function. By leveraging this insight, I ensured that our design deliverables not only met but surpassed customer expectations, enhancing their overall experience with the brand.