Gearbox | functional creative

Case Study

Eich Motor
Company

2019 AAF of Central Minnesota
Judge’s Choice Winner

Branding Campaign

The challenge

Eich Motor Company is a local landmark. Since it opened its doors in 1898, the family-owned business held its own through world wars, the Great Depression, countless leaders and ground-breaking changes in the auto industry. Now, 120 years later, Eich still prides itself on offering fair, honest, no-commission sales on its two enduring brands: Volkswagen and Mazda. But even a four-generation icon needs a fresh face now and then. So, Eich reached out to us for an updated brand and a new way to tell its story.

The solution

Our first step was to develop brand positioning and personas that would be the foundation of our branding and campaign strategy. Through this work we uncovered the differentiating elements of the Eich brand: a transparent, hassle-free, no-pressure car buying experience.

The new logo replaces the formal all-caps logo with a lower-case font to reflect the dealer’s soft-sell personality. The new campaign illustrates Eich’s low-pressure car-buying experience with simple, light-hearted artwork centered around a new tagline “love the experience.” The integrated campaign—which includes outdoor and digital advertising, social media and indoor signage—accelerates the message that Eich isn’t just about making a sale. It’s about creating lifelong relationships between people and their cars…and car owners and their dealership.

What we did
Branding
Tagline Development
Campaign Strategy
Print
Environmental

Often the best solution is the simplest. The design should be unique, but recognizable and identifiable. The message should be relatable. You want your audience to feel like they’re connecting on the level of an inside joke.