Brand Positioning - We were charged with developing a brand idea which gives the wealthy, building their fleet, a reason to make Aston Martin the pinnacle of their collection.
(Click slideshow to enlarge CREATIVE BRIEFING DECK)
Real Problem
Aston Martin’s brand has not taken a solid stance in the Americas. The brand has strayed too far into exclusivity and gone dormant. The name, Aston Martin alone no longer carries strong meaning. Aston’s only strong recognition is for its long history with James Bond, which has become golden shackles to acquiring new consumers.
Market Forces – Setting the Stage
Category: The category of luxury vehicles worships speed, flash, and brash colors. These vehicles represent the rich who throw away their wealth on tasteless pursuits. They are the Soulless.
Culture: The affluent have been criticized for their wealth and as such do not connect with cliché displays of luxury.
The Ultra Rich: The majority of the ultra-wealthy were not born into their riches. They believe that their success is due to their clear sense of purpose in life (Passion). These people believe they have earned their success from personal hard work (Merit) and perseverance (Soul) in the face of failure. They even cite that their happiness is determined by the realization of personal potential (Success), but the weak fall prey to the trappings of success. These people chased success for the wrong reasons.
Our Target Audience – The Likable Rich (Mirrors of the brand)
The Likable Rich, who know that success is only the beginning. We like them for their enduring passion because they continue to share it with us. These people continue to strive past reaching success because they adhere to their core values.
True Success is not found when we reach it, but when we share it with others and are recognized for our success.
Audience Insight: People driven by passion who find success can preserve their meaning and purpose after becoming wealthy.
Brand Truth: Imprinted with the values of passion, merit, and perseverance. The car with soul, in a category of the soulless.
Strategic Platform: For whom success is only the beginning
There is an untraditional brief, too. It explores the demise in 2016 of 2013’s slew of Ultimate Men (the most interesting man goes to space / retires). The Parable of an Uncle’s Mistake is an attempt to explain the true insight. But you’ll have to email sean@boutchard.com to read, an Uncle’s Parable on Success – ‘Buying a Porsche.’
ASSIGNMENT
SOLUTION
RESULTS
Final Product:
Client: My Sensible Baby – a smart monitoring device that was created to help prevent SIDS during the first 6 months to a year of the infants’ life.
Background: It was spring 2014, a year before the dad-vertising onslaught that was the Super Bowl XLIX. Our team was tasked with creating a digital campaign for a smart baby monitor. It was a promising product, utilizing technology to deliver an experience which helped parents maintain their sanity during the crazy first 6 months of having a baby.
Issues: We believed there were a couple minor things holding this product back from success.
– First, they only had a product with no brand. There was an opportunity to create a strong brand that could extend outside of the first 6 months of childhood that the product is relevant.
– Second, the packaging and app interface looked like a medical device. It made parents more nervous.
– Third, the name. My Sensible Baby was confusing. It needed a little tweaking even though the client loved it.
Target: First Time Dads.
This was the lynchpin of our blue ocean strategy. Why you may ask? What about moms? Aren’t they the ones usually buying? Well, we forecasted times were about to change. Millennials are now becoming first time parents and we found that the soccer mom is transforming into the skateboard dad. And in a category that launches new products every nine months, everybody was still talking to moms. We wanted to stand out in the sea of baby products.
Strategy: The “Fourth Trimester”
After speaking with all the father’s we know, we stumbled upon the “Fourth Trimester” blues. The first few months of infants’ life are known as the “Fourth Trimester,” because Moms share a special biological connection with the newborn. The newborn misses the familiarity of the womb and enjoys the comfort a mother brings. Meanwhile, Moms are experiencing a radical range of changes in both their bodies and minds that only mothers fully understand. This makes for an uneasy period for fathers who aren’t sure of their role yet. This was also the period where our product lived.
Again and again dads spoke of the guilt they felt during this time. They desperately wanted to feel useful, but didn’t know exactly how and were worried about everything that could possibly go wrong. What if Sensible could calm his fears and make him the hero he so desperately wants to be?
We needed to Celebrate Dads as the Hero of the Fourth Trimester.
Implementation: We began our journey by chopping off the unnecessary words from the name. The product became Sensible and our strategy led the creative team to the concept, Dad Conquers Irrational Fears.
Our creative team knocked it out of the park, created an 8 bit video game, redid the packaging, streamlined the interface with a calming facelift, and executed some great radio and TV spots. From a business standpoint there was a great chance to make this thing bigger by creating a brand for all things dad. We decided on calling it Dad Labs.
Since we first came into parents’ lives as their child was born, if we did well, we could create line extensions for products later in their childs‘ life. This would extend the customer lifetime value of our audience. And the CEO of the company, our leader figure just happened to be a first time dad.
Brainstarter:
Brand – Dad Labs Product – Sensible
Caveman Dad had to worry about saber tooth tigers eating his baby.
Now, saber tooth tigers are gone.
SIDS is dads’ current saber tooth tiger. Lets get rid of SIDS.
Concept: Dad conquers irrational fears
Dad Versus The Irrational Universe
Digital Ads
Client: mysensiblebaby.com
Created by:
Sean Boutchard (CS)
Michael Grasewicz (CBM)
David Spradlin (AD)
Patrick Farrell (CW)
Andy Holdeman (XD)
Advertising Campaign: How do you get people to eat more fruits and vegetables?
Challenge: How do you increase consumption of fruits and vegetables in the U.S.? Its an age old question mothers preach, but how do you actually change the behavior.
Setting the Stage: The Renaissance of Farmer’s Markets
Farmers markets are more than just a place for local foodies to get fresh fruits and vegetables. They have grown to become a haven for artisans and musicians to sell their wares. It exposes people to ethnic cultures and traditions. These markets have revitalized neglected neighborhoods and transformed them into places people want to spend time at whether they are shopping or not. Farmers’ markets build social ties, linking rural and urban populations and also neighbors in a mutually rewarding exchange. Farmers’ markets play a pivotal role in maintaining cultural communities that can teach youth and families how to live healthy, balanced lives. They turn the chore of grocery shopping into a fun social event where people can explore and discover new foods. When farmer’s have a chance to talk about their food it gives the produce a life of it’s own and takes the fear out of intimidating vegetables.
Insight: The story makes food tastier
The rich stories behind the food enhances the flavors we experience. They stir emotions that are inextricably entangled in our physical sensations.
Target: Tag Alongs
Farmers’ markets are an incredible melting pot of people from all sorts of backgrounds, but not all have the True Believer mindset. Tag Alongs go when they are invited by a friend and its convenient. They will never go alone, its a social event for them. They want the full experience of the farmer’s market. They need the side dishes of music, art and crafts. They enjoy going once in awhile, but haven’t made it a lifestyle yet. We need to turn these Tag Alongs into True Believers.
Strategy: Where food comes alive
We need to spread the culture of farmer’s markets where food comes alive. By growing these communities not only will we greatly increase the consumption of fruits and veggies, but encourage healthy living that gives back to the local economy. If we start with their friends the rest will follow.
Reasons to Believe:
1. States with the highest consumption of vegetables also have the highest density of farmers’ markets.
2. From 2008-2014 there has been an increase in farmers’ markets by 76%, that has since slowed down to 1.5% in the past year. They need advertising to grow their consumer base before markets will be able to grow in numbers again.
3. Food Stamps (SNAP benefits) are worth double at farmers’ markets.
Results:
We created a unified brand that all 17 farmers markets in the region could utilize as well as customize to promote their specific market. Working with the Virginia Farmers’ Market Association, Feedmore.org and the Capital Region Collaborative, we are launching a campaign for farmer’s markets in Virginia that will start late this spring.
TV Spot – Hands of a Farmer
Web Spot – Morning Stories
Client: Feedmore.org
My Role:
Primary Research: Interviews, Ethnography
Secondary Research
Strategy Development
Camera work for TV spots
Created by:
Sean Boutchard (CS)
Tim Brown (CBM)
Elly Taura (AD)
James Fees (CW)
Duncan Hoge (CT)
Challenge: Nike once dominated the shoe category in China, but currently they are losing customers to Adidas and other fashionable street wear brands. In September 2013, Nike predicted their sales will continue to drop for the next two quarters, which would make for five consecutive quarters of loss.
Setting the Stage: In China, the one-child policy children are very persuasive in how their parents spend their money. This “lonely generation” are at the center of four grandparents and two parents which results in centralized attention. With so much family attention and pressure focused on cultivating these only-children, the youth are interested in expressing their identity through their personal choices. Brands are not just status symbols to them, the Chinese youth care about fitting in, personal expression, and increasingly more about social responsibility. Online they are able to find freedom from the gaze of their parents and it is perfectly natural for them to have virtual friends they have never met in real life. The new “China Dream” is a not only a life of luxury, but also giving back value to China.
Cultural insight: In the past you were what you owned, now you are what you share.
Real Problem: Nike has always been a beloved brand, but as the younger generation seeks to be more connected and are less concerned with conspicuous consumption, we needed to positioned Nike as more than a label. Rather, something they can rally behind together with their circles.
Objective: Increase Nike’s brand equity in China.
Charity Partner: WildAid has been extremely effective in curbing the consumption of endangered species in Asia. They have recruited the largest superstars in China to spread an immense public awareness campaign that has permeated China’s culture and society.
Solution: We connected the Brand with a charity to solve the problem. Our solution to this challenge was Nike Wild. The campaign connects the brand with the speed and beauty of these endangered animals. Nike Wild taps into your natural animalistic instincts and encourages you to harness that power.
Strategy: Make movement the currency for change.
Concept: The prowess of these animals is the same spirit that lives in every athlete.
NIKE WILD FUELBAND PROJECT “UNLEASH GREATNESS”
Nike believes anyone with a body is an athlete. Through the activities you love you can DO something to change the world. Utilizing FuelBand and Nike+ technology, people will be able to earn money for WildAid through physical activities. Drawing from an initial “Wild Bank,” individuals can raise money on their own and join a team. The app tracks their progress on a leader board that displays how they and their teams rank among others in regard to money raised.
Social Engagement
Users will be able to publish stories and photos on the FuelBand App of their activities. They will be able to share these through the major social media platforms of China, Korea, and Japan.
To further foster social communities Nike Wild will be incentivizing the “Wild” experience. Each time the funds raised reaches an increment of 500,000, the team who has raised the most money in that time will be publicly recognized and awarded a package of products from the Wild line and Nike gift cards. The group who raises the most money combined by the deadline in 2016 will receive a paid trip to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“It is a dynamic market for testing as the Chinese are very keen to try anything new. They spend more time online, mainly on mobile phones – than most people in other markets.”
China boasts the largest internet market in the world, with more than 570 million users and it is growing exponentially. Leading Platforms in Asia: WeChat / Wei Xin (China), KakaoTalk (Korea), Line (Japan), and Facebook.
My Role:
Credits:
Sean Boutchard (CS)
Kendra Gaines (AD)
Billy Galanko (CBM)
Duncan Hoge (CT)
Nelson W. Johnson (CT)
Andrea Sofia (CS)
Andrew Couch (CW)
Subculture Study - A five minute documentary that provides a glimpse into The International Brotherhood of Magicians Richmond chapter.
The International Brotherhood of Magicians – The Horace Bennett Ring 180
Founded in 1922, The International Brotherhood of Magicians is the world’s largest organization for the magical arts, with members in 88 countries.
The local Ring is named after Richmond Native Horace Bennett, a noted magician and author. The members of Ring 180 share a mutual love for the ancient art of magic. They have an extension language of magician terminology, such as:
Patter: describing the words spoken during a performance, whether rehearsed or spontaneous. Patter is sometimes used as misdirection.
The art of magic lies in the presentation and for this group of gentlemen, practicing magic is a way for them to relate to people. It gives them confidence. Some of the members are very shy when they first joined and the club is a way for them to overcome that. The group is very caring and welcoming towards outsiders. Unfortunately, they have a declining membership due to old age.
The afternoon was a cool seventy-degrees on Saturday October 23, 2010. It was the day I was inducted into La Barra Brava, the D.C United soccer club supporters group.
The afternoon was a cool seventy-degrees on Saturday October 23, 2010. It was the day I was inducted into La Barra Brava, the D.C United soccer club supporters group. The festivities were on extra high alert for that night would see the retirement of one of the club’s heroes and reasons for its existence, MLS Hall of Fame player Jamie Moreno. I had heard of the raucous nature of the group by my friends who invited me to join them, but I was not ready for the passion-filled exuberance that is the La Barra Brava family.
I arrived early in the afternoon to the fields outside of RFK, several hours before the match started. I was introduced to the group’s founder Oscar Zambrana, who greeted me and outfitted me in the group’s uniform, the La Barra Brava Jersey. He gave me tickets for section the group was born in, section 135. There in the grassy lots, on the outskirts of the stadium, I joined hundreds of supporters from all sorts of backgrounds; A group of misfits all with one mission, to become the soundtrack that rallies DC United to victory. A community was setup based around a massive charcoal grill adorned with 80 pounds of sizzling beef that filled the air with a delicious aroma of lomito saltado. There were kegs of brown ale and coolers filled with craft beers to wash down the grilled meats. Beyond the main Barra Brava grill, small camps were set up around smaller grills and tables that featured individual club members’ specialty dishes. While, I was reluctant at first to visit these satellite groups, the fellow Barra Brava members welcomed me warmly and proudly with offerings of smoked pork shoulder and grilled lamb. This marathon tailgate is the first ritual of La Barra Brava, and the only rule it honors is that everyone brings something to share.
After a few hours of water gun fights, libations and impromptu futbol matches Oscar and “the Elders” of the La Barra Brava broke out the giant brass drums and started passing out the enormous flags for the march to the stadium. “The Elders” of La Barra Brava not only lead the club in the non-stop jumping, singing, and chanting that make up the 90-minute matches, but also police the group, watching out for the group’s overall safety. The march became a sea of black, red, and white banners highlighted by smoke billowing from flares to the thunderous sounds of drums and singing:
VAMOS.
VAMOS UNITED.
QUE ESTA NOCHE,
TE-NE-MOS-QUE GANAR.
The club is steeped in the traditions of South American futbol clubs or top Barras, but has become a melting pot of traditions from all across the globe. The literal translation of Barra Brava means “Brave Fans,” and these fans have gained plenty of attention as the “12th man” bouncing RFK’s stands.
Once we entered the stadium, filling sections 135 through 138 (the group has grown considerably since its founding in 1996 to over 1,800 members) drum circles erupted as the black and red flags waved proudly. As a member or even a guest you are expected to sing, jump and shout, as it is a “standing room only area.” This mentality sets La Barra Brava apart from other support groups for MLS teams. Through years of loving abuse, many of the seats are torn away, entire rows missing in the dilapidated RFK stadium, a nest that has catered to thousands of fans.
The climax of the game came not from the outcome, a hard loss to Toronto FC that finished D.C. United’s worst season to date, but from Jaime Moreno’s final goal. The group chanted his name for all of D.C. to hear, and again even louder in the 82nd minute of the game when he walked off the field for last time. The energy that flowed over the crowd was so immense, the scoreboard didn’t matter; we were witnessing the end of era.
I was hooked. While, no game since this first game I went to has captured that intensity, it always has a strong bond of community. La Bara Brava is an open family that will welcome you in with no questions asked.
The MLB marks their start by the opening of the first ballpark. Whether you love or hate baseball there is nothing like the Ballpark Experience. Watching on television just doesn’t do it justice. We believe the essence of the MLB is that Ballpark Experience
Created by Whitney Cavin and Sean Boutchard.
Netflix has always put the user in control. Through this Netflix becomes custom tailored to fit the users’ taste, transforming into a reflection of the user.
Created by Tulani Foy, Kerry O’Conner, Data Oruwari, and Sean Boutchard.
Student work not for commercial use.
Logo Designs for a UK based clothing manufacturer, a salon, and a non-profit for homeless women.
PR at Partners
A colleague at GMU, studying web development and IT, was overhauling the web presence of a local salon for his senior thesis. He asked me to redesign their logo for his project. He wanted a design that conveyed a sleek and sexy look that most people associate with high end salons. Using an image from a recent photoshoot that highlights the skills of the salon’s stylists, I created a mark that emphasizes the short, but incredibly luscious hair pictured with a soft portrait of the model’s profile. “PR” utilizes a variation of the English typeface, Baskerville, to reflect the salon owner’s U.K. heritage. The “At Partners” uses Bickham Script which has a personality that can range from poised to extravagant. The logo is balanced in a triangular fashion and is finished with a classic logotype in the triangle’s bottom center.
Toye Society
Toye, Kenning, and Spencer wanted to start a new brand catering to sororities and fraternities in the United States. The logo features a Marlet, a bird with no legs that symbolizes the constant quest for knowledge, learning, and adventure. The Marlet is featured prominently on the Toye Family Crest.
Beacon Point
In this project for the non-profit organization “Hilliard House,” we redesigned it to more accurately define their services as a rapid re-housing program for homeless women with children. Our objective was to increase funding and donations for the program.
A Digital Art Series: The villain is often the most interesting character in any fiction. There are no limits placed on the villain. The best villains are in their minds the hero, doing good in…
The villain is often the most interesting character in any fiction. There are no limits placed on the villain. The best villains are in their minds the hero, doing good in for their own interests. I intended to show the complexities of modern supervillains. I used images of renewable energy sources as away to express the good the villain hopes to achieve. Each supervillian comes branded with his own Logomark that encompasses his movement. The villain in a well-written movie will usually have a more interesting backstory and motivation than the hero, since he/she must go outside the bounds of morality to fulfill his/her needs.The influences that I’ve cited are WWII War propaganda art and Joss Whedon’s “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.”
“THE HERO”
THE HERO depicts an aging, balding man naked sitting high atop a gothic building (The Chicago Tribune). This is a commentary on the modern view of complex superheroes, complete with all their flaws. I was heavily influenced by “The Watchmen” for this character in the series. The heroes of “The Watchmen” struggle to define their role in society, and as such, blur the line between heroes and villains.
“Everybody need$ Bread”
In this piece the Super Villain goal is to eradicate world hunger, but with stains of blood in the fields of grain, suggests even with the mission’s noble nature what are the costs involved.
“Control the MSG”
Here, the SuperVillain’s goal is to control the airwaves, which in our modern world serve to inform and can influence and shape our view of the world. This is an immense form of mind control, for the media around us stimulates and frames our ideology.
“Global Growing”
Lastly, In “Global Growing” the villain is dedicated to saving the environment of the planet, which is illustrated in the burning of modern civilization, but with the regrowth of a green conscience man.