Project Brief - Print Ad in a Magazine for Columbia Sportsgear
Summary:
For this project, I was designing a print ad for a magazine for Columbia Sportsgear. I started by researcher the brand itself and creating a creative brief for the brand and company. This would help me better develop a print ad for Columbia.
Creative Brief – Columbia
• The nature of the brand or group:
-Outdoor sports gear
-Outdoors brand
-Promotes active lifestyle
-Known for jackets and outerwear
-Outdoor sports gear
-Outdoors brand
-Promotes active lifestyle
-Known for jackets and outerwear
• The goals of differentiation and distinction
-Outdoor sportswear specific (hiking, fishing, camping, etc)
-80 years of outdoors – trusted, company history
-Gear technology is high tech
-Pacific Northwest heritage and indomitable spirit.
-Outdoor sportswear specific (hiking, fishing, camping, etc)
-80 years of outdoors – trusted, company history
-Gear technology is high tech
-Pacific Northwest heritage and indomitable spirit.
• A strategic brand personality
-High-standards
-Tough
-Active
-Ready for anything
-Not too flashy but effective and high quality
-High-standards
-Tough
-Active
-Ready for anything
-Not too flashy but effective and high quality
• The target audience
-Those that enjoy outdoors sports
-Those that live in a cold climate
-Those that money to spend on higher quality outdoors products
-Those that enjoy outdoors sports
-Those that live in a cold climate
-Those that money to spend on higher quality outdoors products
• What is important to the target audience
-Effect products that work in cold weather or for outdoor sports
-Apparel that performs and has sold technology
-Effect products that work in cold weather or for outdoor sports
-Apparel that performs and has sold technology
• Positioning
-Adventurous, can-do, outdoors brand that offers everything for you need to exceed in your active lifestyle.
-Adventurous, can-do, outdoors brand that offers everything for you need to exceed in your active lifestyle.
Who?
-Founded by GERT BOYLE
-Geared towards men and women and kids (active families)
-Those that love the outdoors or do outdoor sports and have extra money to spend
-Founded by GERT BOYLE
-Geared towards men and women and kids (active families)
-Those that love the outdoors or do outdoor sports and have extra money to spend
What?
-Jackets, footwear, fleeces, tops, bottoms, apparel
-Products that perform in tough outdoor conditions
-Jackets, footwear, fleeces, tops, bottoms, apparel
-Products that perform in tough outdoor conditions
Where?
-Based in Portland, Oregon
-Based in Portland, Oregon
When?
1970 Bert took over the business
1970 Bert took over the business
Final Creative Brief:
Columbia is an outdoor sports and cold climate brand that promotes an active lifestyle. They’re known for their high-quality and high-tech, durable apparel products. Those that are active outdoors or have an active family with money to spend on high-performing products are their market. Columbia’s products are unique because they perform in tough outdoor conditions and cold weather.
Columbia is an outdoor sports and cold climate brand that promotes an active lifestyle. They’re known for their high-quality and high-tech, durable apparel products. Those that are active outdoors or have an active family with money to spend on high-performing products are their market. Columbia’s products are unique because they perform in tough outdoor conditions and cold weather.
The company has a long history and has been around for 80 years. The long history and can-do attitude of the company founder adds integrity and trust to the brand. The brand personality is tough, active, high-performing, and ready for anything. The company was founded in the Pacific Norwest, a place known for adverse weather, mountains, rain, and outdoor activities.
I started by sketching out different versions of the ad I had in mind. I experimented with different logo placement, taglines, imagery and layout.
Next, I narrowed down my sketches to my top 3 favorite designs. I then sketched out these designs.
Next, I took to the digital realm. I started gathering images I'd like to use in my ad. I wanted the images to reflect adventure, exploring the great outdoors, and rugged climates. I then started adding in ad copy and logos. Below are my 3 ad mockups.
After multiple rounds of edits and feedback from my colleagues, I developed a finalized magazine ad below.
Overall, this topic helped me work on building a brand portfolio, developing ad copy, a powerful tagline and create a print ad for a major brand.