Concrete Design Communications
Pickwick & Weller identity
Pickwick & Weller
Pickwick & Weller identity
Pickwick & Weller identity
This project is band identity for start-up company of luxury t-shirts sold exclusively on-line. The project consists of visual identity, art direction brand imagery and video, package design and e-commerce website.
2. The Brief: Summarize the problem you set out to solve. What was the context for the project, and what was the challenge posed to you?Pickwick & Weller is the brainchild of early PayPal contributor Ryan Donahue and actor Ashton Kutcher. The concept for the t-shirt line was inspired by silicone valley-based Donahue’s friends and colleagues – a class of creative knowledge workers whose wardrobes have shifted towards a more casual, yet refined taste. Consisting of a crisp T-shirt and perfectly worn denim, this “modern workwear uniform,” as Donahue calls it, has quickly replaced the more formal workplace attire of years past. Concrete was tasked with creating the brand’s identity. The clothing line consists of well-made, “designer-quality” t-shirts – luxury wardrobe basics – available only online. It was critical that the two principal customer touchpoints – the company’s website and the “unboxing experience” – fully communicate the quality and value of the product.
3. The Intent: What point of view did you bring to the project, and were there additional criteria that you added to the brief?Charles Dickens classic novel, The Pickwick Papers, provided the inspiration for the name. As the book's two main characters – men of both luxury and necessity – Pickwick & Weller was chosen as a permanent reminder of the brand's values and vision. The name also informed the attitude of the typographic style and especially the art direction of the imagery – contemporary, yet rooted in classical traditions.
4. The Process: Describe the rigor that informed your project. (Research, ethnography, subject matter experts, materials exploration, technology, iteration, testing, etc., as applicable.) What stakeholder interests did you consider? (Audience, business, organization, labor, manufacturing, distribution, etc., as applicable)We performed the expected competitive brand audits, but ultimately we relied most on our own instincts about fashion and retail.
5. The Value: How does your project earn its keep in the world? What is its value? What is its impact? (Social, educational, economic, paradigm-shifting, sustainable, environmental, cultural, gladdening, etc.)The brand provides an outlet for those who appreciate fashion, simplicity, quality and casual style, that is brought together in a way that is affordable and accessible.