A-Flex

Situation

In 2004, Insotect, the global leader in outdoor-gear insulation system technology, innovated a pair of advanced insulation systems that shared an identical basic platform. The first was a hi-loft insulation system that exploits the flexible nature of synthetic fibers for superior body support and increased heat retention. The second was an advanced shingle insulation system that perfects the world's most popular outdoor gear construction design for enhanced heat retention and weight reduction.

Challenge

Based on the same base platform but with different twists on the content, each system was priced at different price points. Insotect mandated that both systems would be recognized as legitimate sister technologies yet with distinctive characters and user benefits.

Brand Advantage™

Upon our realization that, despite that fact that their basic platform construction was identical, the actual physical content construction of the products were strong differentiators. We determined that both the shared platform and differentiated contents needed be sub-branded before hand in order to establish a strong basis for achieving Insotect's mandate of signifying the two systems' relationship and individualities at the same time. We established the term "Anchor Technology" for the common platform based on both its shape and function. For the content of the more premium system, we created the term "Flexure Technology" that precisely portrait its magical form and function. As for the more economical system, we understood that, unlike its revolutionary sister system, its content was based on a conventional construction called "Shingle Construction", thus established its content name as "Shingo". The result of this exercise simultaneously gave birth to the brand names "A-Flex" (denoting Anchored Flexure) and "A-Shingo" (denoting Anchored Shingle) for both sister insulation systems. We then developed for each brands an individual product positioning and visual identity system that were integrating to Insotect's universal visual system. When put together, both sister brands visually harmonize with each other while remaining distinguishable.