Bringing a Rebrand to Life: Allied Building Stores

When Allied Building Stores came to us, the building material supply industry was changing and their business model was evolving. To stay on the forefront, ABS needed to move their brand forward. We helped them refresh their visual identity and develop a new strategy to reach their members. 

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Creative Brief

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The strength of ABS—a lumber co-op—was in their standing as a legacy brand, with a tight-knit community of members and all the expertise to show for it. The challenge? A new generation of members who were taking up their family businesses didn’t have the same emotional connection to ABS as their predecessors. 

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The goal became clear: Breathe new life into this legacy brand through a deeper understanding of their current members and a fresh update to the everyday elements of their brand identity. These changes, alongside an updated brand strategy, helped get ABS back on the radar for both new and existing members. 

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Campaign Concepts

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After learning more about their brand, their audience, and their goals, we took to the drawing board. The brand concepts needed to inspire confidence and demonstrate the functional value of a membership with ABS. Here are the three different concepts we developed. 

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1. Built on Purpose

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This brand concept is born out of ABS’s deep sense of purpose to help members stay ahead of the curve today so they can thrive in tomorrow's market.

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This purpose has been a guiding light from the beginning, and keeps ABS expanding and finding new ways to bring unparalleled value to our members. It's what ABS does as partners driven to help them succeed, no matter what the future may bring.

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This straightforward approach is complimented by bright, approachable color and type and features an emphasis on a bold, defining mark or icon infused with the concept of growth.

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2. Power Through Unity

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This concept uplifts the legacy ABS has built for nearly 60 years—through the strength and certitude of community. Unity is what gives our members the power and leverage they need to succeed. This value of community is something the co-op has cultivated since day one. It's a reminder of what's gotten ABS here and what's driving us into tomorrow. It's our heritage, primed and ready for the future.

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Simple and classic uses of color and typography are accompanied by subtle textures and grit that ground us solidly together in a spirit of hard work, pride, and perseverance.

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3. Confidence in Knowledge

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This concept is inspired and informed by ABS's commitment to sharing its collective, time-honed knowledge—accessibly and with intention.

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Here, ABS is amplifying the confidence members feel in not only the co-op, but in the assured decisions and progress they're able to make, knowing they're backed by expertise.

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The visual tone is established through clean lines, a restricted color palette, and a solid sense of direction - all carefully executed with an attitude of precision. It says “We know what we’re doing and this is how we show it.”

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Execution

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The agreed upon direction was concept #1 - Built on Purpose. The Built on Purpose direction and eventual brand tagline was chosen because, of all the concepts, it most embodied the client's core value of growth. They have a deep sense of purpose in growing their members' business by helping them stay ahead of the industry cost curve. And in a world of construction and hardware materials, “Built” was simply a natural fit.

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Here’s a closer look at what we did:

• Brand update + logo development
• Brand video
• Brand vision slide deck
• Brand materials (business cards, letterhead, trade shows promotional materials)
• Email newsletter campaign

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