Carhartt’s Challenge
In 2010, a major clothing manufacturer began a branding initiative to celebrate its heritage as the most recognizable and powerful brand in the rugged clothing marketplace. The brand has a storied past and a solid future. We were tasked with translating this initiative into the client’s trade show and promotional event environments.
Our plan was to combine the look of an 1890s mercantile with a contemporary 21st-century feel in an open and inviting floor plan that would enhance the customer experience, provide a private and practical environment for sales reps to conduct business in the booth, and leverage this new build for the client’s trade show season. Our design incorporated a plan to carry on the vintage theme and allow us to reconfigure the display when used in smaller trade show booth footprints.
How we did it:
- The modern, new look of the client’s existing aluminum components was transformed into a vintage look with wood covers that fit over the aluminum, as well as “antiqued” panels.
- Morley fabricated plastic “brick” panels, plastic “brick” pillars and faux “limestone” that was used throughout the exhibit. These materials offered the look of real brick and limestone, while the reduced weight resulted in significant savings in shipping and material handling.
- Three display windows featured mannequins wearing current client-brand clothing, but surrounded by vintage signage and tools.
- Modern technology (e.g., touch screens, fabric light boxes, DVD players) was integrated into the vintage-look environments.
- “Vintage” furniture was custom built.
- The client’s current iconic logo was combined with logos from the past within the display.
- The second level featured a private executive meeting room and a lounge area for hosting invited guests.
On location, this carefully executed exhibit made an impression. “It definitely generated a lot of attention,” reported the client executive responsible for the show. “We heard from many of the patrons that we had the best booth at the show.”
