Cold Line is an Italian company, headquartered in the northeast of the country, that designs and manufactures professional refrigeration appliances in stainless steel (refrigerated counters and cabinets, blast chillers/freezers, pizza counters) for the catering, pastry, ice cream and pizza industries. The company is dedicated to high-quality construction and product reliability, the wide range of available products, innovative technology research and timeliness of service. The suggested market prices are competitive, though not the lowest. Cold Line does not participate in trade fairs nor does it advertise its products through mass media outlets. Products are distributed via specialized retailers who handle both product installation and technical support.
WHAT IS IT ?
In this step you will find information about the Brand Builder, who is asking you to propose a Solution for the challenge. He introduces himself (as a Brand of course :) The more you understand about the Brand, the more chances you have to create what is wanted.
IMPORTANT: There is a possibility that the Brand Builder prefers not to disclose who he is, usually for confidentiality reasons. Such Briefs will be published in an anonymous way. In this case the Brand Builder will say as much as he feels comfortable saying.
Here are two EXAMPLES
In case there is no problem with disclosing the identity (VISIBLE):
“NMN -No More Nicotine- is a Brand that promises to counteract the damages to the skin that can be caused by smoking. NMN is distributed in pharmacies and drugstores and its price positioning is middle-high; it is mainly promoted through professional endorsement and is not massively advertised.”
In case the Brand doesn’t want to disclose his identity (ANONYMOUS):
“Brand counteracting the damages to skin caused by smoking. Its products are distributed in pharmacies and drugstores with a middle-high price positioning; they are mainly promoted through professional endorsement and are not massively advertised.”
In summary: Who is your client (in a visible or “anonymous” way :)
Creators are asked to produce the graphics for 3 stickers for 3 product categories:
1 for "refrigerated cabinets" (all.to disegno armadio.pdf + foto armadio.pdf)
1 for "refrigerated counters" (all.to disegno tavolo.pdf + foto tavolo.pdf)
1 for "blast chillers/freezers" (all.to disegno abbattitore.pdf + foto abbattitore.pdf)
The stickers must include the Cold Line logo. The logo does not need to have the exact company colors; other colors may be proposed as long as they are in line with the original ones. The stickers will be made of polyester or polycarbonate and will be applied to stainless steel panels next to the digital thermostat. The objectives are:
1. To highlight the brand, making it immediately visible and recognizable.
2. To make the appliances more aesthetically pleasing with modern, minimalist graphics and colors suitable for a professional kitchen that undergoes frequent cleaning.
3. To convey a sense of trust, sturdiness, professionalism and superior technology to the user.
4. To hide welding marks of screws at the sides of the digital thermostat, which are generated during production. The minimum dimensions indicated below already take this objective into account.
!!!Update as of 7 March!!!
Indications for Creators:
The stickers must have a professional look – modern in terms of lines, form and color.
Review the links to our competitors, provided in the Brief, in order to avoid any identical or equivalent solutions.
Feel free to modify the dimensions and the shape of the sticker. Moreover, for the refrigeration cabinet we accept a simple horizontal solution, as wide as the cabinet itself.
You can also slightly modify the size of the sticker dedicated to the freezer. The shape of the sticker can be modified as well BUT use simple and professionally looking graphical elements.
The Brand is the only element to be highlighted.
We remind you that the printing technique is silkscreen printing, on polycarbonate and polyester – please consider the appropriate technical implications.
!!!The end of Update
WHAT IS IT ?
This is the task the Brand Builder asks you to accomplish. If you don’t understand it, you are completely out of luck !
EXAMPLE
“We ask the Creators to develop a print advertising campaign in order to increase Brand’s visibility. It will be used in national magazines this spring.”
In summary: It’s the objective of the client, therefore your objective too !
In Europe: Chefs, Pastry Chefs, Bakers (and their staff) who use the products professionally.
The user expects the product to be reliable, sturdy, long-lasting, energetically economical and easy to use.
WHAT IS IT?
People that the Brand Builder wants you to entertain and persuade to think, feel or do something using your creation. Usually you will read about their age, sex, social level and behaviors. You should always keep that information in mind while creating, as the target audience is the final recipient of what you create.
EXAMPLE
“Smoking girls and women who would like to quit smoking but can’t. Usually health-conscious adults who care about their looks. They feel guilty about smoking because they know it is harmful. They read books about it. This is a real problem for them: it’s like “My brain wants something, but my body acts of its own accord”. They don’t relate to my brand, they are just waiting for a trustworthy “helping hand”.
In summary: Get under their skin !
Application of the new stickers should instill the following sensations in the onlooker/user/buyer:
- Aesthetic satisfaction;
- Professionalism and refined technology;
- Ease of use;
- Dependability, reliability and sturdiness.
WHAT IS IT?
The thing that the Brand Builder wants to make the target audience think/feel/do because of your creation.
Here are some very concrete examples:
∞ Some things people can think/feel:
- There is a new Brand (or product or idea or...) out there
- This Brand is better than the alternatives or than it used to be
- This Brand is worth paying more for
∞ Some things people can do:
- Start buying the Brand’s products
- Buy the Brand more often
- Stock more products of the Brand in their outlets
The above written examples are very concrete whilst often the proposition of the Brief is emotional. That’s even better as it can be more inspiring!
EXAMPLE
“We’d like to encourage smokers to use NMN in order to minimize the damage to their health while they are keeping giving up smoking (especially if they’ve already tried and failed before).”
In summary: Get inside their brain !
The products we currently offer are carefully and precisely constructed and, in most cases, completely satisfy the user. They are, however, lacking with regard to image as they are rather visually similar to products offered by our competitors. We expect that development of nice, modern, professional graphics will affirm the company's values for the user, increasing the pleasure of using our appliances.
WHAT IS IT?
This is the key to achieving the objective. It is what supports the proposition and makes it believable. Usually it is a rational statement.
EXAMPLE
“Every cigarette you smoke is causing damage to your appearance. A recent study took several pairs of identical twins where one twin was a lifelong smoker and the other had never smoked. The smokers’ skin was a quarter thinner than that of non-smokers, and in some cases there were differences of up to 40%. NMN contains thinning-blocking anti-oxidants which counteract the effect of nicotine on the skin.”
In summary: You are looking for arguments? You’ll find them here!
Reliability, innovation, professionalism, sturdiness.
WHAT IS IT?
It’s who the Brand is. Yes... who!
Treat the Brand as a human being, as it has its own personality. To know the personality of the “client” is fundamental in order to provide a tailor-made job. So, read carefully the listed adjectives...
EXAMPLE
“Scientific, trustworthy, result-oriented, ‘a party’ to achieve your goals.”
In summary: Imagine the live person !
The creative work will accompany the product when placed for professional use in restaurant kitchens, pastry and bake shops, pizzerias, ice cream shops, cooking schools and retailer showrooms. The graphics may be used for advertisements in trade magazines.
WHAT IS IT?
A list of places (or media, or things) where the target audience will see the outcome of your creation. In this step sometimes the Brand will also acknowledge you how much he plans to invest into production. This information will give you an insight whether to create a BIG project or make it small... :)
EXAMPLE
“This campaign is going to appear in lifestyle- and health-focused women magazines of New Zealand, during the spring of 2009. We plan to invest 500,000 USD, which means approximately buying 100 single pages.”
In summary: Consider the medium !
The winner will be asked to provide final artwork for each of the product types. The stickers will be of various sizes according to the product category, but they must have consistent graphics between them.
It is expected that a new digital control (not the one shown in the brochures), with display and buttons flush with the panel, will be used. (Control is on the rear panel)
The project must take into account that the stickers will be made of polyester using silkscreen printing. Keep in mind that shades of color are not technically feasible in the printing phase.
The stickers must be made according to the maximum size indicated for each product category:
Cabinets: L=140 mm H=180 mm (all.to disegno armadio.pdf + foto armadio.pdf)
Counters: L=250 mm H=70 mm (all.to disegno tavolo.pdf + foto tavolo.pdf)
Blast chillers: L=138 mm H=400 mm (all.to disegno abbattitore.pdf + foto abbattitore.pdf)
Different dimensions are accepted provided they are smaller than the maximum dimensions.
JPG and PDF files are accepted for presentation. The winner will be asked to provide the final artwork in AI and CDR files.
Below are the names of some competitors, which are provided in order to view the appearance of their appliances and differentiate our Brand solution by creating an original project:
Di seguito l’elenco delle apparecchiature (in allegato lo schema dimensionale)
Armadi Refrigerati: (da accorpare con un unico modello)
Modello 1 porta lt. 350/500/600/650/700/900/Carrello
Modello 2 porte lt. 1200/1400
Abbattitori di temperatura:
Modello 5/7/10/14/20 teglie con strumento Touch sulla porta
Tavoli Refrigerati: (Un modello)
If the Brand has preferences or technical requirements that your Solution has to match, you will find them here.
Here are some items that you may find in this section:
∞ Guidelines or mandatory inclusions (do’s and/or don’ts)
∞ Business objectives
∞ Market and competitors overview
∞ Good and bad samples
Depending on the Brief, you may also find some files attached with a logo, pictures of product(s), a template that you should use in order to submit your ideas, or any other file that the Brand wants to share with you. So, study the attachments before starting creating.
In summary: Anything else you need to know (not written in the 7 steps before) !
