From Dad’s Shirt to My Brand

Since the mid-90s there’s been a vision at Phillips-Van Heusen, the owner of the IZOD brand, that the brand could be young again. That it would be embraced by a younger generation in their 20s and early 30s. But it had to be a planned transformation. And it had to be done right. So EVP of Marketing, Mike Kelly, was looking for a firm he could collaborate with…intensely. BOLTgroup was there then, and we still are now, helping create and design innovative steps forward, and building a discipline of brand stewardship.

Laying the Foundation

IZOD had incredible name recognition, but it also had brand confusion—about who it was and what it stood for. Lacoste, which was part of IZOD for many years, was much of the cause. So the first step was to rebuild the core. Decide where you’re going, get the product right, and then transform the retail experience of the brand. Change the game in visual merchandising. Up the ante on telling the IZOD story through product trim (see Cool FX Hangtag, A.) and signage. Extend into a full lifestyle proposition with highly relevant product and communications. And then?

Creatively Connecting

The new All-American Brand. Continue with product innovation, and make innovative connections through retail packaging and merchandising. Special promotions (see Holiday Packaging, B.). Brand extensions—creatively executed and seamlessly in line with the brand.

Visually manifest IZOD’s brand pillars to connect the brand to young men and women, and expand visibility in and out of the store. Become synonymous with “young, healthy, sexy, real, classic.” Then creatively connect outside apparel and retail by reawakening open-wheeled motor sports with the IZOD Indycar Series, Team IZOD, and IZOD’s Fastest Seat in Sports programs (see Fastest Seat logo, C., and see the car in action here). Supercharge the brand!