MGS
BRAND EXPERIENCE DESIGN
Creative Direction
Zen Zheng
Research & Strategy
Pei Shi Hu
Brand Design
Evan Chen • Jie Ning Huang
Pei Shi Hu
Interior Design
Shirley Lin • Ding Ling Yao
Jie Ning Huang
Project Management
Chang Chen
OVERVIEW
MGS is a silver jewelry brand that originated in Thailand. The rustic and exotic design had earned them the niche market. As the younger generation becomes the core consumers in the market, it is clear that the MGS brand and marketing strategy needs an update in order to attract this new crowd.
My Role: Research & Strategy • Visual Identity
BRAND
EXPERIENCE PLAN
We renovated the overall brand experience, through
• sorting out the comparative advantage of the brand according to the new audience,
• updating the brand identity and visual system with a modern aesthetic and the original brand essence,
• carrying the brand visual cohesively on a different medium,
• redesign the retail space experience and display system.
BRAND POSITIONING
VISUAL
IDENTITY
DESIGN
APPLICATIONS
RETAIL
SPACE
RESEARCH
The purpose of this research was to better understand the new target audience, competitors, and the current brand image of MGS. The finding and understanding became the foundation for the brand upgrade for MGS.
UNDERSTANDING THE NEW AUDIENCE
• The younger Chinese consumers seek exclusive and individual products to distinguish themselves from their peers.
• Quality and uniqueness are the two biggest factors that draw them to a brand.
• The younger generation is discerning in their preferences.
• With the increase of available income and focus on physical appearances in China, jewelry is seen as an important element of fashion.
• They desire social acceptance and want to stay relevant, while still displaying their individuality.
• Evolving trends among the emerging middle class, professional females and millennials highlight new desires to express identity, gain recognition and embrace change.
CONSUMER INTERESTS
• trendy and complement clothing; worn on a daily basis
• unique designs to let them fit in but also distinguish them from peers
• memento of a special moment or tradition
• self rewarding
COMPETITORS
• Even though China has the jewelry craftsmanship required by many top international brands, but the industry has not yet caught up in terms of branding and design.
• Many of the world’s leading jewelry brands have already entered the mainland market, foreign brands are directly competing for market share with the local brands.
• Jewelry brands shifted the focus of their storytelling to women away from marriage and towards empowerment.
CURRENT BRAND ASSET
• To tie the visual image with Thailand, the old MGS adopted the traditional schemes of tropical Asian design with realism and ornamentation, which earned them the niche market.
• Even though the current customers are fond of the rustic and exotic design, the traditional Tropical Asian atmosphere had driven away most of the younger audience.
• Current brand image stresses on the Thai characteristics but lacks fashion sense.
BRAND
POSITIONING
We learned that the current MGS brand image has the advantage in this niche market. The key to the brand positioning is to leverage the current brand asset and make it more relevant to the modern aesthetic in order to attract the new audience in the industry.
KEY ATTRIBUTES
• "rustic" and "exotic" extracted from original brand essence with a more subtle language
• interpret the Thailand origin to a more approachable tropical visual design in a modern sense
• new designs complementary with fashion trends
CORE VALUES
rustic
Thai
wild
modern
mysterious
fashionable
BRAND IMAGE
URBAN JUNGLE
CHIC
INTRIGUING
RUSTIC
EXOTIC
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
LOGO
BRAND
COLORS
TYPOGRAPHY
ILLUSTRATIONS
Collaborating with an external illustrator, a series of illustration of plants and animals wearing jewelry was made to bring in the intriguing quality of the MGS brand.
ILLUSTRATION
TREATMENT
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography is one of the most important elements in the MGS branding. Product stories should be associated with the urban jungle elements.
APPLICATIONS
Applying the new brand visual language into various touchpoints cohesively is the key to communicate a consistent brand experience.
RETAIL SPACE
Illustration of the jungle, wood and greenery together with concrete and modern lighting are utilized to illustrate the intriguing concept of "Urban Jungle".
