We were conscious fairly early on that the Williams Sonoma brand, while still known for its quality, was no longer ubiquitous among the millennial and younger audience as a cookware and lifestyle brand. As the company expanded over the last several decades and grew to increase its offerings across many types of home goods, audiences lost awareness of the brand's core spirit - eroding its ability to remain distinct amongst competitors. Our biggest challenge was to find a way to refocus Williams Sonoma's identity: a return to its roots without losing sight of the brand's incredible growth over the last 70 years.
Our work needed to build a foundation of thorough research. A comprehensive understanding of the brand's facets, aims, and competitors within the space would open new avenues to pursue and enable us to make informed decisions on which route to recommend. Based on our research, we envisioned a narrative that would evoke warmth, nostalgia, cheer, and a little bit of adventurous spirit in our audience.
The outcome of the project was a complete campaign proposal for a 70th brand anniversary initiative, including timelines, tentative budget, and SMART goals for success metrics. Our narrative centered around a modern family reuniting for the holiday season despite living apart during the year and finding both joy and pride in coming together to host the perfect holiday event. It represents both a literal and figurative homecoming, on the part of our audience and the Williams Sonoma brand respectively.
Market & User Research, Strategy & Direction, Content Writing, Budget & Metrics, Deck Design
