The Engine Room design agency was given two projects by online childrens clothes retailer Little Trekkers. It was briefed to re-brand Little Trekkers, and the create a second brand identity for Spotty Otter, brand.
The name had already been chosen by the company's founders Stephanie Butterworth and her partner Matthew Jones, following extensive market testing among staff, family and friends.
The product range and the brand identity for Spotty Otter were developed in tandem, with close collaboration between Glacier Blue and The Engine Room at various stages of the design development process. ‘Constant dialogue between all parties was essential until initial designs were created to ensure neither side of the design brief went off-message,’ The Engine Room Creative Director Darren Evans explains.
‘It was great to see a small company get so excited about design and engage with it so deeply. Stephanie and Matthew were very clear about their requirements from the outset and developed a strong relationship with the designers early on.’
Working with two design companies was surprisingly straightforward, says Butterworth. ‘I’ve always been a natural planner and I produced regular mini briefs for each element – not to dictate design, but to ensure everything matched the feel we were trying to achieve,’ she says. ‘It was also invaluable that Glacier Blue and The Engine Room already had experience of working together.’
The identity that resulted from this process comprises the brand name with a distinctive letter ‘O’ containing a swimming otter. The launch product range, meanwhile, comprised a selection of down coats; waterproof wear and Wellington boots.
‘We are thrilled. The designs have far exceeded our expectations, and we now have our own branded product range that sits quite comfortably alongside the big brands already established in our market.’
When the Spotty Otter brand was launched in autumn 2007, the first product was sold online within 45 minutes of going live on the Little Trekkers website – complete with Little Trekkers’ new brand identity. Distribution of Spotty Otter products has since been extended offline into a number of retailers throughout the country and the second range of summer clothing, also designed by Glacier Blue, was launched in spring 2008.
Butterworth readily admits the creation of Spotty Otter has been a steep learning curve. But the skills she has honed as a result are already proving invaluable. From a cultural perspective, the business has become more open to the bottom line benefits of effective design and committed to bringing design into all elements of its business. Meanwhile, the shift in emphasis from re-branding to new product line showed the real strategic value of design to their business.
‘Because of this project I am now comfortable dealing with design agencies, clothing designers, factories overseas and freight companies. And this has had a knock-on effect for our staff, too, who no longer just deal with customers but wholesalers and retailers, too,’ she says.
‘As important, however, is that our approach to design has altered fundamentally. Up front we thought long and hard about the financial commitment involved – investment in the branding alone represented more than ten times our total design expenditure since 2002. It was a major step for us. Seeing where we’ve got as a result, however, and the extent of the role design has played, has been a revelation - and more than justified the financial investment.’
