Capsule 18: Capsule Client Outcomes

This week marks our 18th and final week of Capsule 18. To cap off the series we are sharing some of the most successful stories from our past 18 years of existence.

18. Red Wing Shoes

We were able to help Red Wing Shoes continue to use their valuable, widely recognized mark in a more effective way - we refeathered the red wing in such a way that no one could tell, but yet improved function. A redesign that made something better without you even knowing it.

17. Brilliant

With the introduction of fresh packaging and a new identity for Brilliant Reflective, we were able to help them launch a new arm and revenue source to their company. These safety strips use 3M Scotchlite material to keep nighttime bikers and runners safe.

16. AlpineAire

We repackaged dehydrated meals, taking it from an outdated packaging to a more modern design and look, coupled with increased navigation for shoppers. "It really emphasizes a place-based theme rather than a gourmet meal-based theme. We hoped this would stand out from the competition and invoke that 'mountaintop moment' that the food can fuel," says designer, Kayla.

15. Stahl

Let me tell you about our best friend, Stahl. The success of this rebrand collaboration was one of our favorites, as not only did we come up with a kick-ass design for a kick-ass construction company, but it was a true partnership that created a lasting friendship.

14. Rethink Water

Rethink came to us with a strong environmental mission and beliefs about the detriments of bottled water- it’s time to rethink water in the retail space and build a more sustainable way to package and distribute the world’s most sustainable resource. We collaborated to launch a next generation logo and brand identity that fused these core beliefs and TetraPak technology solutions that made this a truly sustainable product. The result? Rethink was introduced into the Target space, and within its first two weeks, sold out entirely and was pushed to expand its distribution to include 250 East Coast retailers. A meaningful success on the shelves and a step for creating a more environmentally friendly world.

13. Duets

Duets. The marriage of law and design. We were proud to help a local law firm and dear friend, Steven Baird, launch a now nationally recognized intellectual property blogging brand. “Duets gave a legal team a place for them to present their thinking and launch them straight to the top of the legal blogs - it’s the #1 property legal blog in the country,” says Managing Principal, Aaron Keller. Check out the Seth-Godin-approved blog here.

12. Byerly's

Before Byerly's merge with Lunds, the brand sought out to better communicate their longstanding reputation as a gourmet retailer as well as communicate the investments and updates being made to the brand. Taking the brand through our research, strategy, and design process, the resulting identity and insights yielded a 27% increase in same store sales for all locations that were remodeled with the new identity, facilities, and services.

11. Herman Miller

The name for Herman Miller’s new chair needed to be memorable, protectable, and needed to pass Chinese and European trademark offices. After hours of brainstorming and refinements, the Setu chair was born.

10. Minnesota Orchestra

One of the most interesting and stressful times for a brand to be doing a complete refresh. “We successfully brought together a visual identity and brand after having survived a strike. It was incredibly cool to be there before and after, and watch them flourish since,” says Aaron.

9. Rave

Rave was the apple of our eyes when it came to our naming process. Naming the next Honeycrisp was a particularly tasty challenge given to us by the University of Minnesota. The Capsule team is a well-oiled machine when it comes to brainstorming, so it was one of our most efficient naming processes. "We usually don't have our tastebuds involved in the naming process, so that was quite a treat," says designer, Michelle

8. Thrivent Financial

Our work with Thrivent Financial is one of the biggest logo projects we have ever done, and after a year and a half of collaboration, a strong identity for a financial giant was created.

7. Patagonia

After witnessing a decline in their baselayer sales compared to their primary competitors, Patagonia came to us wanting to redesign the "sushi roll" structure of their baselayer product packaging. We developed a sophisticated yet simple packaging solution that aligned with the brand's environmental ethics and minimal design. Not only was it a blast to work with this group of visionaries in the outdoor space, we were proud to see that following the debut of this hexagonal packaging structure, the product yielded a 70% sales increase within their retail stores.

6. Schuler Shoes

Rebranding a 5th generation family owned business is no easy feat. Through a messaging and identity update, we helped usher this brand into preparing for the next generation.

5. Sanford Health

One of the biggest merger acquisitions we have worked on, two very different cultures came together and needed a new “we”. The end result was a successful merge of two companies into one successful, cohesive identity.

4. Schroeder

A household commodity, our research revealed that retailers have just seconds to grab customers' attention in the grocery store when it comes to milk products. This created an incredible opportunity to design fresh and eye-catching packaging for the well-known historic Schroeder brand that communicated exactly what customers wanted to know when shopping - the fat level of the milk. Schroeder saw a sustained 15% increase in distribution due to their new packaging and 22% increase in sales of milk during a recessionary economy.

3. GreenSeam

Getting 30 community leaders to agree on one name takes a lot of education, coordination, and shepherding - but we ended up with a strong identity for an important corner of our home state.

2. Double Cross Vodka

We helped successfully launch a national vodka brand with a sleek bottle structure and design that made the brand distinct and memorable in the alcohol industry.

1. Spartan Nash - Open Acres

We helped the client launch a brand within their exclusive brands category. "Designing a brand that fit multiple categories in a cohesive and visually appealing way was a great challenge, and that made it all the more gratifying in the end," says designer, Michelle.

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