Challenge

Avid reader and former book-publishing executive, Jamey Bennett, had an idea. Jamey liked reading at night but didn’t like clip-on book lights that spilled more light around his book than on it. His moment of genius was to place a flat lens on the page and shine light through it—lighting the page and only the page. But how would he get it to market?

Jamey partnered with BOLTGROUP to bring his idea to life. But many questions needed answering first. What configuration and form would readers prefer? How would the product be engineered to adequately light the page? How would Jamey sell the concept to retailers without a risky tooling investment? He needed a product. A company. A brand. A plan.

Solution

The moment of truth would come in a presentation to Barnes & Noble. To help Jamey sell his product before it was born, we completed the industrial design and a brand strategy that included the LightWedge® name, its visual identity, and retail packaging. We then dramatized the concepts with photo-realistic renderings as though they were on a Barnes & Noble shelf. The buyers were impressed—Jamey walked away with an order before spending a penny on tooling.

Result

Within two years, LightWedge was the top selling book light at the three major bookstore chains—Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Books-A-Million. Within five years, LightWedge, LLC went from startup to Inc. 500. The company now offers more than 20 different lighting products.