Strand Studio Reenergizes Ollie, Which Reenergizes Your Furry Companions
Interview by Michael O’Donnell / Editor
Prior to opening Strand Studio (a portmanteau of “strategy” and “brand”) in 2019, Working Not Working Member Lacey Waterman built an impressive career in advertising and design working with big-name companies and agencies like Partners & Spade, Red Antler, Pentagram, Google Creative Lab, Droga5, and more. With Strand Studio, Waterman and company provide strategy, design, and storytelling to create a holistic brand presence. How does it all come together? Take a look at Strand’s latest project, a full rebrand for Ollie, the company that delivers specialized meal plans and next-level nutrition for your dog.
In our conversation below, we discuss Strand Studio’s complete rebrand of Ollie, the quest for perfect design moments, and the beauty of risk-taking clients like Ollie.
Scroll down for intelligent branding, creative process insights, and adorable dog actors.
Sometimes brands need a rebrand. Why was it time for Ollie to reintroduce itself?
With the fast-growing brand evolving its offering to support their mission, it was time to re-evaluate the brand's visual identity. Since Ollie launched in 2016, there have been a lot of new brands popping up in the category. All dog food brands care about dog health. But none go as far as they can in treating dogs as the unique individuals they are — with specific tastes, lifestyles, and needs. Strategically, it made sense to present a more elevated, yet approachable visual system that seamlessly fits with consumers’ lives and breaks away from the pack (pun-intended).
Strand Studio oversaw the complete rebrand of Ollie, which means there were a ton of creative decisions to execute. Which elements of this project are you proudest of?
It's a dream to have a client like Ollie come to you and give you the freedom to make work that you are passionate about. As we continue to work with Ollie beyond the launch, I can see how versatile the system is and how it can really flex for their needs. This is especially important for their long-term success with this new visual identity.
We love the serving scoop in the negative space of the 'e.' That's not a question. We love it.
Just look at it.
I guess a question about that serving scoop 'e' is: how do you feel about these perfect magical design elements? Do they bring entire projects together? Are they the tidy bow on top? Are they an invitation for audiences to interact with the creativity that builds the company?"
It's funny you ask about that. The reason I even became interested in graphic design was after a trip to Portland with my journalism class in high school. While I was there I attended a lecture about corporate logos and learned about the 'arrow' in the FedEx mark. If you never noticed, there's an arrow in the negative space of the 'e' and the 'x'. My mind was blown and my fascination with design and branding took off from there. So now, anytime I see an opportunity to incorporate a design element that's smart and ownable but perhaps not noticeable at first, I jump at the chance. Those easter eggs are my favorite moments in design.
“Anytime I see an opportunity to incorporate a design element that’s smart and ownable but perhaps not noticeable at first, I jump at the chance. Those easter eggs are my favorite moments in design.”
What was the most challenging aspect of this rebrand and what did you learn along the way?
The most challenging part of the process was executing this complex production in peak COVID months. It wasn't an easy task with animals involved, but we made it happen safely as a team. Since it wasn't possible to get the entire production team in a room together until we were on set, I learned to lean on the team's strengths in ways I may not have on prior shoots. It definitely wouldn't have been possible without our fearless producer Geoff Guinta!
How did your past projects and experiences working with clients like Hims and Tend inform your approach?
Even though Hims and Tend are completely different categories, we take a similar strategic approach when developing a brand system. Hims and Tend were unique challenges because the brands didn't exist yet, so you don't have any insight to how creative decisions are being received by the consumer. On the other hand, a brand like Ollie that has been in the market for a few years has insights and knowledge about both the business and the consumer that are so helpful to have in the creative process. In both cases, they present different challenges but with each project, it's important to just take a step back and really evaluate if a creative decision is just personal taste or will really help the brand evolve and grow in smart ways. You always want it to be the latter.
“A brand like Ollie that has been in the market for a few years has insights and knowledge about both the business and the consumer that are so helpful to have in the creative process.”
Anything else you'd like to add?
It's rare to have clients that are willing to take risks and put so much trust in your vision, especially as a small studio, so I'd just like to thank the entire Ollie team and our collaborators at Strand Studio. It takes a village to make good work and we look forward to seeing it out in the world.
Strand Studio & Ollie Partners
Strategy: Creative Strategy Inc.
Photography: Brayden Olson, Nathan Kraxberger
Industrial Design: FriendsOf
Producer: Geoff Guinta
Retouching: Picture House
Styling: Michael Altman
Food Styling: Sean Dooley
Type Design: Ryan Bugden
Designer: Abbie Winters
Intern: Mackenzie Hudock