From Blank Page to CES

Nuheat Thermostat Series

Going outside the box with a box.

In 2014, Nuheat was set to expand its product offering by launching a new line of thermostats. As a first of its kind, we were given the task of creating a brand from scratch that would lead up to a multimedia campaign launch at CES, one of the world's biggest and most recognized technology trade shows.

Our team saw this as an opportunity to offer something fresh and premium to our audience and push the boundaries of both what was traditionally done in the company and what existed in the industry in terms of the product and the brand impact we wanted to create. We saw the blank canvass as a potential to explore new ways to innovate how we could make things better.

With a product that would be marketed and produced in the premium category, we wanted the same to resonate with how we did things, especially from a visual communications and branding perspective, which were commonly not the top of mind in operating in this domain.

This creation and innovation had us looking into examining every aspect of the product. In each of these touch points, we wanted to ask what and how things could be done differently and most importantly, why.

Creating Space for Creativity

The manufacturing industry is a domain that thrives in standards, structures and restrictions. It is heavily examined and regulated and perceived as very no frills and straight forward. It was a space we saw as an opportunity where creativity could break through and make a big impact.

Understanding limits and structure we needed to work with allowed us to push what we could do in terms of how a product could be presented, branded and packaged, and it is from these boundaries and lines we started our exploration of what we created. From its name, the colours we were using and down to the iconography, we asked what the rules where, why they existed and how far we can push it to innovate and offer something different that both fell in line with the standards, but also reached the audience at a very emotional and human level.

In showcasing the product and its different features, we talked and collaborated with the different stakeholders of the product. We spoke to everyone from engineers, contractors, and sales to get their insights, consensus and patterns on the content and what they saw as was important beyond what was regulated.

We asked for their aspirations, what appealed to them and what they would associate with a product of this kind and translated it to our messaging and aesthetic.

We came up with an iconography and pattern that gave off that feeling and texture of sleekness; very unassuming and minimal yet bold at the same time. These were emotions, cues and affinities we wanted to utilize in what we were building.

This came out of a process of putting on many hats as manufacturers, marketers, strategists and also creatives and designers.

Visual Language

We aspired for the brand persona to make as much of an emotional impact as it does the product and have them indispensable with one another and translate that from the moment they encounter the product.

We created a visual aesthetic that captured the feelings of confidence, ease and luxury and aligned it with its naming along with more tactile aspects of the product like incorporating spot varnishes to the packaging and the glass finishes of the thermostats themselves. Every detail mattered to us even more so as they impacted the user at an unconscious level.

From Warehouse to Wall

We reexamined our own logistical and marketing efforts and looked into how the product can enhance both the functional and visual impact at every touch point it has with its user. We worked with our vendors and sales team all over North America and conducted numerous contextual inquiries to see what we could do from everything from our point of purchase displays, sell sheets and trade show booths to create the narrative we want to convey to our audience.

We wanted to make sure of what experience and interaction people would have with our product and created that environment and space in every way, whether it's in the stores, the trade shows or in their homes.

I insert Tradeshows