100 years of tradition, success upon success, but too many different looks in over 120 countries. Triumph was faced with the challenge of developing a new, more consistent look and reinventing the brand as an international fashion label. Just the type of global rebranding process we specialize in managing from beginning to end.
The foundation was good and solid: Triumph is one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of lingerie and undergarments. When we started the process in 2006 the company employed 42,000 people and generated annual revenues of 2.4 billion Swiss francs. In addition to the main brands, Triumph and sloggi, the group also owns Valisère and HOM. That meant one of our most urgent tasks was to define the brand’s architecture clearly. The result was three pillars: “Miss Triumph”, “Triumph” and “Classics by Triumph”.
In the workshops we held with Triumph’s people around the world, one thing soon became clear: not only was the brand’s architecture outdated, but a new brand should emerge. One that customers not just like, but love. “Sensuous self-confidence” is the promise of the new brand: an aim that went on to change the Triumph look from the ground up.
Once again the logo crowns the brand. We developed more than 100 different versions of the new crown, sparing no detail in developing the perfect look. It communicates the qualities of Triumph’s long heritage and opens up the brand to become a fashion label. Its clear, expressive form can be used for both the confident red and a semi-lucent white.
The focus was no longer to be on products, but on women and their individuality. ”Discover the goddess in every woman” became the core idea. And that called for a completely new style of photography. The images no longer portray women as objects, as most photography for lingerie does; instead they highlight the uniqueness of each woman’s femininity.
This new imagery called for a fresh approach. To accomplish this, Triumph contracted Peter Gehrke, a Swedish photographer known for his highly expressive yet sensitive portraits. His work had already defined the styles of several other major global brands like Levi Strauss, Acne fashion, H&M, Mandarina Duck and Volvo. His mission for Triumph: to capture authentic sensuous moments in the life of a Triumph woman without putting her on display.
Soft lighting, warm colors and natural poses underscore the authenticity of the moment. Broad landscape formats evoke movie stills, thus adding a strongly narrative element to the images: the product takes backstage to the implicit storyline. Soft contrast adds depth to the images, drawing the viewer into the world of the Triumph woman.
Warm colors dominate the brand’s coloring, based on its new primary color: Triumph Red. The warm, bold, modern tone reflects Triumph’s positioning as a brand that is real, vibrant and personal. The new imagery is consistent and unified and allows enough freedom for the specific advertising needs of various collections and countries.
“Once again our customers can experience our values and our aims through a clear, harmonious look. The new Triumph brand has created tremendous resonance throughout the world.”
Jan Rosenberg, the general manager of sales and marketing Triumph InternationalThat’s what the jury of the Rebrand Awards thought too. That’s why they awarded the new look a prize in 2009.
