Village Gift Barn
Ruth Schlabach approached Cassel Bear with the following three objectives:
- Rebrand an existing business,
- Publicize the massive remodeling and makeover project that the same business was undergoing, and
- Develop a parent company for her retail stores.
Ruth saw the value in rebranding her home furnishing business to better reflect and communicate her retail position. A key factor in the rebranding effort was the reputation the business had earned over the past six years. Cassel Bear conducted a name study with Ruth and determined that simply shortening the original name Berlin Village Gift Barn to Village Gift Barn was the most effective way to maintain her current customer base. The previous logo, a detailed rendering of a bird on a nest, was updated to a more modern and upscale design to reflect the high quality of the products that Ruth sells. With the name and logo in place, the rest of the branding system flourished into an artful collage of design.
In addition to the visual identity system described above, Cassel Bear designed promotional literature and billboards for the rebranded business and coordinated a press release announcing the store's new makeover.
Ruth also wanted to develop a parent company for her retail stores. Cassel Bear concepted the name, Olde Berlin Village, and created the identity system for the new holding company.
Village Gift Barn experienced record-breaking sales several days in a row during their subsequent annual Christmas Open House.