LL Flooring
The Challenge
LL Flooring, a retailer offering an on-trend assortment of specialty flooring products and accessible, professional expertise, undertook a massive rebrand to mark a step in a new direction and more accurately reflect who they were and what they had to offer. They chose to partner with Capsule to ensure their rebranding effort had a firm footing in their values and vision for the future.
The Solution
Capsule helped strategically think through an identity shift that would keep current customers and stakeholders informed and involved through meticulous research and design strategy, from name to logo to visual identity system design.
The Mark
Capsule developed a spectrum of concepts to determine just how far the visual language could stray from the former brand. We conducted multiple rounds of focus groups with flooring contractors and homeowners to determine this direction and overwhelmingly found support for more premium design that would balance the equity of the name, while still signaling a more significant brand identity shift.
The new logo and subsequent visual identity system bring together abstract rectangular shapes, warm colors and approachable typography, harkening back to ideas of a tight knit, cozy home. Negative space in the mark showcases a hidden ‘plus,’ symbolizing all the brand offers beyond flooring, such as flooring accessories, tools, service and installation.
Filled with photography of lived moments and beautiful product shots, the designed visual system is flexible and allows product quality to shine. This visual energy and life signals the warmth, support and confidence LL Flooring brings to a decision as important as flooring a home.
Capsule also designed two intermediate logos to help communicate the transition gradually and transparently as well as a standards manual that gave the brand solid ground on which to effectively roll out their new brand system.
Testing the Subconscious
Using Implicit Association Testing (IAT), we were able to identify any psychological inherent biases with new name options among contractors and homeowners. Findings strengthened the decision to choose a name that retained the affordability, economic equity and longstanding heritage of the brand, while still moving away from inaccurate brand associations with “lumber” and “liquidation."
Client Testimonial
"Based on early feedback from customers, we believe the store rebranding will help make our stores more attractive and approachable. And, we’re excited about leveraging our physical store footprint to further reinforce our value proposition."
Charles Tyson Chief Executive Officer, LL Flooring
