I’m going to set up the scene: The year is 2020. Businesses are doing their best to learn and adapt their strategies to the social impacts of the pandemic. The focus of sales and marketing shifted almost fully toward online and digital channels. While this is already a norm for a vast number of markets, the plumbing industry has its unique set of challenges and opportunities in the virtual space.

Locarno was the hansgrohe brand’s most anticipated collection for the North American subsidiary, as the all-new premium collection featured a visually striking design that made a bold statement in the bathroom and kitchen. It was designed to compete on the same level as some of the best bathroom and kitchen products in the market. This collection was targeted toward homeowners looking to invest in a new home build or renovation, as this was the trend on the rise during a time.

Set to release at the wake of 2021, the strategy for introducing Locarno to the market successfully was to perform a more solidified and focused online/digital launch. This approach would primarily rely on generating earnings from online B2B and eCommerce channels.

I was put in charge of fulfilling the creative deliverables for sales and marketing. Our main objective was to support the success of the Locarno launch by providing our B2B customers and eCom team with a robust set of digital assets that will help inform, impact, and influence trade.

“Art deco inspired design” were essentially the only words that we needed to hear in order to develop our creative approach to our deliverables. We were absolutely motivated by the idea of conveying a modern revival of visual themes from the 1920s. The sense of balance and harmony, along with geometric patterns and colors were something that we could leverage to speak to the sophistication and elegance of the collection.

We used the deliverables of previous global launches as the basis of defining the optimal set of digital assets, which consisted of:

• Product imagery on a white background

• Inspiration images of the collection installed in a decorated interior setting, or ambience

• Imagery highlighting key user benefits, features, and unique selling points

• An introductory brochure

As we set our sights on the deliverables, the Brand Manager and I realized a few critical factors that affected key components of the project:

1. Time was a factor.

2. The collection is relatively vast, consisting of 32 models ranging across the bathroom, shower, and kitchen categories. Each model comes in 5 finishes for a total of 160 products. Running out of time, budget, and resources to satisfy all types of imagery for each product in all available finishes was the reality that we had to consider.

3. Manufacturing was still in progress. No physical models were available until later in the year. How do we produce images of products that are not physically available?

After these considerations, we landed on producing the deliverables with computer-generated imagery (CGI). We outsourced this work to a studio in order to meet the industry standard for professional grade CGI.

The Brand Manager and I supplied the vendor with our business strategy and the creative approach for the launch. As the studio provided deliverables I provided art direction to the team, and performed quality reviews based on the company’s brand guidelines for imagery. The images shown are the results or our work together, where we convey the sophistication and elegance of Locarno’s art deco inspired design, and intend to stimulate inspiration with interior themes that express a revival of the 1920s art movement.

Overall, the online/digital launch was a success. Locarno was the highest selling collection of 2021 for the North American subsidiary, shattering Q1 sales projections by over 30% by the end of February, and ultimately exceeding the company’s overall revenue projections by 17%. Currently, the collection remains as one of the top selling collections in the United States, and has expanded its availability into Canada and Mexico. Sales representatives across the continent have attributed part of its success in the market to the availability of impactful visual assets that evoke interior design inspiration.