Georg Jensen
- Client Georg Jensen
- Project Brand Identity
- Year 2003-2006
Purity that Lives
How do you stand out in a crowd defined by flamboyant, sensuous competitors? Do you go flamboyant - or create your own style? Georg jensen and e-Types did the latter, reinvigorating the brand's
total visual expression from A to Z and dividing its brands into self-contained worlds that were true to their category - but bound together by a philosophy of purity.
To coincide with Georg jensens 100th anniversary, e-Types developed a new brand platform and visual identity complete with custom-made typefaces, and created a new brand manual to guide the
company's future activities.
Reinvigorating heritage - from A to Z
The programme, developed in close cooperation with Georg Jensen marked the begining of a partnership spanning several years where e-Types stood for the overall visual expression of the brand
extending into all its activities; designing and implementing packaging design solutions, catalogues and image campaigns, photo styles and ad campaigns as well as developing the overall brand
architecture and defining individual sub-brand identities and their relation to the brands new main identity ensuring overall coherence and quality.
Nordic spirit of purity
The company's history dates back to 1904 when Georg Jensen founded his silversmith workshop in Copenhagen. His jewellery, cutlery and hollowware designs were an instant success and sought after throughout the world. His exceptional attention to detail and craftsmanship has secured him the honour of being one of the most influential silversmiths of the past century.
e-Types was asked to create a fresh visual identity based on a more modern set of values for Georg Jensen, without alienating the company's traditions and history. This task spawned an analysis of the brand focusing on its core purpose and values, a revised brand strategy, a new brand architecture and a new visual identity with all the trimmings. Working from the brands heritage, e-Types worked towards creating a unique position i an ocean of high-end brands focusing on decadence and over-the-top romanticism, resulting in the following visual statement:
The identity programme included a specially designed typeface, new packaging for all of Georg Jensen's products as well as catalogues, point of sale material and a wide range of other elements.
Moreover, e-Types worked with Georg Jensen on a series of image campaigns, implementing the new identity and brand essence from the initial concept across photo shoots and ad designs culminating in two consecutive yearly campaigns for the company's core watches and jewellery brand, a highly exclusive catalogue for the Georg Jensen Heritage Brand as well as special campaigns for watches, cutlery and a range of other products.
e-Types also designed the specialty packaging design for Georg Jensen's special Karim Rashid editions.
Brand architecture: defining a family
One of the core tenets of Georg Jensen's new strategy was to become one of the most luxurious jewellery/ accessory brands in the world. The brand spans a range of products ranging from custom made silverware at 100.000 Euro or more over to watches, jewellery and Danish Design cutlery, even spanning as far as home furnishings in stainless steel and Christmas and Easter decorations.
In other words a very diverse family tied together by shared design principles and values, but very different in terms of both pricing, distribution and promotion. Therefore, as a continuation of the new brand strategy, e-Types and Georg Jensen decided to divide the brand's products into a number of brands, each with their own visual expression yet all within an overall framework of Georg Jensen.
The most exclusive custom-crafted silver products and older designs by e.g. Henning Koppel and Georg Jensen himself were placed in the brand 'Georg Jensen Heritage'.
The watches and jewellery that form the core of Georg Jensen's business and its brand outside of Denmark were branded as 'Georg Jensen since 1904'
The stainless steel products such as cutlery, bowls, key chains and gift products were placed in 'Georg Jensen Living'.
And finally, the seasonal products were placed in a world of their own with the brands 'Georg Jensen Christmas' and 'Georg Jensen Easter'.
Nordic spirit of purity
The company's history dates back to 1904 when Georg Jensen founded his silversmith workshop in Copenhagen. His jewellery, cutlery and hollowware designs were an instant success and sought after throughout the world. His exceptional attention to detail and craftsmanship has secured him the honour of being one of the most influential silversmiths of the past century.
e-Types was asked to create a fresh visual identity based on a more modern set of values for Georg Jensen, without alienating the company's traditions and history. This task spawned an analysis of the brand focusing on its core purpose and values, a revised brand strategy, a new brand architecture and a new visual identity with all the trimmings. Working from the brands heritage, e-Types worked towards creating a unique position i an ocean of high-end brands focusing on decadence and over-the-top romanticism, resulting in the following visual statement:
The new look for Georg Jensen was inspired by the company's Scandinavian roots. It is this Nordic spirit of purity, light and inspiration from nature that makes Georg Jensen unique in the
world of luxury goods. It is, simply, pure Nordic sensuality.
The identity programme included a specially designed typeface, new packaging for all of Georg Jensen's products as well as catalogues, point of sale material and a wide range of other elements.
Moreover, e-Types worked with Georg Jensen on a series of image campaigns, implementing the new identity and brand essence from the initial concept across photo shoots and ad designs culminating in two consecutive yearly campaigns for the company's core watches and jewellery brand, a highly exclusive catalogue for the Georg Jensen Heritage Brand as well as special campaigns for watches, cutlery and a range of other products.
e-Types also designed the specialty packaging design for Georg Jensen's special Karim Rashid editions.
Brand architecture: defining a family
One of the core tenets of Georg Jensen's new strategy was to become one of the most luxurious jewellery/ accessory brands in the world. The brand spans a range of products ranging from custom made silverware at 100.000 Euro or more over to watches, jewellery and Danish Design cutlery, even spanning as far as home furnishings in stainless steel and Christmas and Easter decorations.
In other words a very diverse family tied together by shared design principles and values, but very different in terms of both pricing, distribution and promotion. Therefore, as a continuation of the new brand strategy, e-Types and Georg Jensen decided to divide the brand's products into a number of brands, each with their own visual expression yet all within an overall framework of Georg Jensen.
The most exclusive custom-crafted silver products and older designs by e.g. Henning Koppel and Georg Jensen himself were placed in the brand 'Georg Jensen Heritage'.
The watches and jewellery that form the core of Georg Jensen's business and its brand outside of Denmark were branded as 'Georg Jensen since 1904'
The stainless steel products such as cutlery, bowls, key chains and gift products were placed in 'Georg Jensen Living'.
And finally, the seasonal products were placed in a world of their own with the brands 'Georg Jensen Christmas' and 'Georg Jensen Easter'.
The Heritage Catalogue for Georg Jensen Heritage focusing on the quality of the craftsmanship and the intense attention to detail that each piece requires for completion while celebrating the
nordic crafts tradition and the artisans who´s expertise and handiwork is evident in each of the heritage lines products.
An example of a campaign identity created for Georg Jensen Jewellery: A more refined reflection of romanticism that is closer in keeping with the nordic sensibilities of the brand. Like the
jewellery itself, the style is simple and scandinavian with an emphasis on purity and cool.
Like in the jewellery campaign, the visual style for the watches is clean and pure, focusing on the aesthetics of the product.
Creating the sub-brand Identity, e-Types looked both to the overall ambition of the brand to embody "Purity that lives" while firmly anchoring the brand in a nordic interior design tradition
associated with simplicity and quality. Using a minimal palette, each image breathes purity and tranquility, making a decisive break with the often cluttered "homeliness" seen in similar campaigns
and staking out a clear position for Georg Jensen Living in the process.
