Michael Benis
Case History: Creo, Italy
Disappointed by uninspiring proposals from local agencies, the partners in what has now become Creo contacted me at Nexus on the strength of our previous international work together. The brief was nothing less than to create and launch this Italian brand.
Creo stores sell a wide range of gift articles for men and women of all ages, but above all create bespoke objects and wrapping that express something uniquely personal about the giver and receiver.
We worked on evoking this creativity and personal relationship in the concept, name, logo, strapline and design of the stores, their corporate literature and the launch campaign, starting with a detailed stakeholder analysis.
Attendance at the launch event of the pilot shop was double the expected number, and sales were substantially above projections.
On the strength of this performance, Creo rolled out the new branding to its original shop, Balloon Store, one year later, closing it down for a complete refit and reopening under the new name. We used this period to launch a teaser campaign with a competition that exploited the city-centre shop window as a stage to secure the buy-in and loyalty of existing customers, while attracting an extended spectrum of new customers to the reopening events and rebranded store.
I was responsible for the brand strategy and creative direction of both projects as Creative Director of Nexus, assembling a dedicated team of Italian, South African and UK creatives.
Brand and Communications Consultant
Branding • Creative Concepts & Strategy • Copywriting
• Creative Direction • Speechwriting
