Pentland Brands is one of the best-kept secrets in British business. We were charged with bringing its past, present and future to life for internal and external audiences to explore the stories, innovations and values that define the brands they house, in new and exciting ways
The objective was to move beyond a standard showroom or corporate display and craft an immersive experience that seamlessly combines storytelling, technology and tactile engagement. Our goal was to design an environment that could adapt to different narratives and activations, while always keeping Pentland’s commitment to progress and quality at the forefront
We were asked to position Pentland firmly at the threshold of a new era, signalled by their move back to Clerkenwell – an innovative company that is looking to the future, whilst taking the utmost pride in its legacy as a family-founded business. This required not only that we work nimbly and at pace, but also openly and collaboratively with a whole host of stakeholders.
To effectively capture and tell the history of the business, we had to immerse ourselves in their story. We started with exploring their extensive archive, where we could review and consider thousands of artefacts that could work to chart Pentland’s progression from a family footwear business to a global manufacturer and builder of successful brands. From there, we could pick out key stories, chapter the story, and form an overarching narrative that could bind everything together.
With stories, overall narrative, and artefacts locked, we could move into a design phase to explore ways that visually exhibit this narrative in a way that was sympathetic to the space we had available, and ensure it met the ambition of the overall project. We divided the space into four distinct sections: Catalysts of Change, Global Impact of Pentland, Innovation Powered by People, and Behind the Success. With the flow designed, we could concept looks, materials, lighting, typography, technologies, and finishes.
To create a consistent experience, we worked to develop and adapt Pentland Brands’ visual identity to lead animated text, graphics and transitions between content pieces for displays.
We were involved in every aspect of the AV display, from design and technical planning to installation and content design. To create a consistent experience, we developed a new visual language out of Pentland’s branding, which included motion principles and animation to guide the delivery of 29 different micro-stories. Spanning several projections and displays of different shapes, sizes, and transparency, our layer of motion injected richness and deeper storytelling into the space and artefacts on display.
Throughout, we felt an acute sense of responsibility to do justice to their story – as outsiders, we had to absorb a lot of information very quickly and find a way to distil it in a considered, engaging and emotive way – whilst also dealing with the sheer practicalities and logistics of working with the confines of the space itself
The result is not only contemporary and cohesive, but it also injects a sense of dynamic movement and flow throughout, to reinforce the brand’s attributes. Above all else, the cleanliness of the design allows the individual stories and artefacts to take centre stage and room to breathe
