Die Hard – Power Ahead

Design: Longo Designs
Illustrator: Justin Maller
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Client: Sears
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Packaging Contents: Automotive, Outdoor, Battery, Chargers
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Paper, cardboard, labels
Printing Process: Flexography, Screen Printing

Last year, I got a request to work on a new presentation deck for Sear’s DieHard® brand. They needed a pitch deck to help promote some new ideas for the brand. The project quickly grew into a full flown rebrand as we discovered there was so much we can do to enhance the brand and evolve it to something totally exciting and electrifying.

Through discovery, research and brand archetypes, we found some solid foundations to build the new brand. DieHard® was expanding to products beyond automotive, so we targeted the “Mavericks” who love technology, adventure and confidence. Our new mantra: “Powerful, determined, persistent, dependable, authentic.”

The brand has some incredible longevity, with a very established wordmark. There was no need to mess with it. It has recognized equity that spans generations. So we built everything around that pillar, completely reinvigorating the entire brand. From brand guidelines, packaging, point of purchase to in-store merchandising. The highlight for me is the first ever “secondary badge” called the D-Badge. The badge represents the “Power Ahead” tagline, with an energetic shard intersecting through the Diehard® D.

Then we created the “Breakthrough Graphic” as an intense vision of “power” from a central core. I asked Justin Maller to join our team and execute this graphic to reinforce our brand positioning. It reflects the premium performance of the DieHard® offering.

Americans have trusted Diehard® to deliver exceptional performance and reliable products for over 50 years. I hope we have helped recharge the brand to reach a faster-moving target who is determined and confident and embodies a “Diehard” approach to life.

What’s Unique?
We set up a complete brand guideline for Die Hard, making it easy for any licensee to create impactful and cohesive packaging components. It’a full-proof guide explaining all aspects of packing ensuring all applications from multiple manufacturers is consistent throughout retail.