Project
Smythson
Transforming a British icon
“Otherway's approach is helping us to be braver with our creative, delivering more elevated and luxurious storytelling and ensuring a distinctive and confident point of view.”
Chief Commercial Officer
Smythson
Smythson
Services
Strategy
Advertising
Photography
Content
Digital Design
For Days Less Everyday.
Smythson holds a rich 130-year history of providing luxury leather goods to the most discerning customers. But as rich as that history is, the business had a challenge to find new ways to give the brand meaning in a modern world, against a flurry of young upstarts.
We developed a fresh platform that would help re-establish what they stood for. Given the deep roots of product design, we focused on an approach that would celebrate the form and function of Smythson's hand-crafted pieces, whilst elevating their British personality. Our solution was a creative platform that captures the joy of owning an object so beautifully well made and its power to transform the everyday.
The power of an icon.
The key opportunity was to use Smythson diaries as the original, figurehead of the brand. Evoking a feeling of established authority. Instantly recognisable wherever it shows up.
From the busy pages of Frank Smythson's original diaries, to the envelope-inspired bag designs, there is an undeniable connection to writing that flows through the brand. Stationery isn’t just a part of the range, it’s a part of the brand’s DNA.
Built on craftsmanship and creativity.
A visit to the Smythson workshop revealed the incredible levels of hand-finishing and expert craftsmanship that go into making every piece. And so, we were determined to mirror this handmade quality in our own creative work.
Working with stop-motion artists and craft-creators, we developed a new abstract, artistic world for Smythson - designed to bring a richness and tactility that would give comms unique standout against the competitive landscape of leather goods and stationery.