JKR

Swiss

This week's Champion of Design is Swiss, with its red and white flag logo adorning everything from pen knives and watches through to clothing and fragrance. Read below to find out the brand lesson which we drew, outlined by our Client Director, James Joice...

The Swiss Army Knife has carved out a distinct space in our minds as a symbol of versatility. Ironically, for a brand famous for its multi-functionality, the lesson it reminds us of is, keep it simple.

The brand has continually added depth and interest to a consistent product proposition, whilst resisting the temptation to tinker with a strikingly simple identity. Consequently, the Swiss Army Knife has a ‘fresh continuity’ about it that keeps it familiar yet relevant.

Product quality has also remained reassuringly consistent. The individual features on every single knife are still tested by hand - an expensive but essential process that sensibly hasn’t fallen victim to a cost engineering exercise.

That precision and reliability has made the Swiss Army Knife a powerful ambassador for Swiss culture. It has played its part alongside other brands, from Rolex to Roger Federer, to create an expectation of quality and accuracy from all things Swiss.

The restraint and discipline that has been shown at the brand’s core has served to liberate the periphery. Expansion into new categories has helped drive growth without undermining the brand’s credibility.

But presumably there is a limit and Swiss Army Fragrances might just be it. Whilst, we aspire to share their equipment, I’m not sure how much we really want to smell like the Swiss Army.

 

For the full article, see this week's Marketing magazine.