A national retail chain, ready for their next evolution, asked us to help refresh things.

Mancave had first undertaken workwear retailing with a surf shop aesthetic and approach. It was quirky and premium. Over the years, and with the influence of merchandisers from various suppliers this was eroded and clutter crept in. It was time for a rethink and refresh. Crafting the new, cleaner corporate identity was only a small part of the change.

Creating a suite of brand assets that re-established the brand's prominence in its own space while creating more space within the retail environments that allowed these elements to speak clearly was key.

It was time to transform the cluttered garage into the Man-Cool Mancave.

Mancave's "Wall of boots had been a disrupter when it first appeared, but the merchandising technique had become commonplace. Their expertise in understanding this staple of workwear needed to be made visible. They were the kings of boot fitting, without the crown.

Branding their staff, and the boot section of their stores as "The Bootician" cheekily claimed this position, and was delivered in premium style like a high-end salon. Coupled with the "Fit for a King" fitting guarantee (and it's edgy crowned skull) Mancave are positioned as the go-to brand for workboots. 

A proof of concept store visualisation was created to convey the core strategic changes and creative solutions that would be applied to each of the chain's locations. There was also a strong focus on bringing virtual shopping into the stores, and aligning both in-store packaging and the unboxing of online purchases into a unified mancave experience.

When commencing the fit-out of their new Liverpool outlet Mancave had an opportunity to brand a large wall outside of the store. Rather than fill this with products or merchandising messages a fun, street art vibe illustration was created that encouraged passersby to take a photo and share on social media.

In order to help the Mancave teams stay on-brand with the new direction, and all the new creative assets, we created a mini brand guidelines. The reference document covered all the need to know details, making production easier. We were also on call to assist with packaging, unboxing, signage, shopfitting and partnership opportunities.