THE SITUATION
Donald J Pliner had been one of the most innovative brands and iconic names in the shoe industry since the 1980’s. As its fans matured and new brands emerged, it lost its position in the category. Venture capital firm Castanea Partners acquired the brand, and The O Group was hired to lead the rebranding effort.
OUR WORK
Based on our Discovery and Evaluation, everything from the Mission to the Creative Direction was re-envisioned to attract new consumers without losing current loyalists. The brand platform reframes the product's extravagant styling in a bold, contemporary way—associating Donald J Pliner with colorful, fashion forward locales. With this in mind, we engaged fashion photographer Michael Dwornik to create a stunning brand campaign. Custom backdrops and collection-inspired props create a sense of place without actually ever leaving the studio. The custom red-on-red pattern harnesses the high-energy of the brand and has become a signature visual element.
RESULTS
Donald J Pliner leverages the heritage of the brand without being stuck in the past. It's forward-looking (and fashion-forward). Donald J Pliner’s CEO Noel Hord said, “Our focus has been on getting our product right to significantly grow our customer base. The O Group ran with that idea and created a way to modernize and evolve various customer touch points such as imagery, packaging, brand voice and presentation. The O Group team successfully accomplished this with our mission in mind – to acquire new customers without walking away from our history and heritage." Sales numbers are up across the board – in some cases over 80%, and the best is yet to come.
