Background

Duresta is a British brand that has been handcrafting expertly upholstered furniture since 1938. The company was keen to explore ways of gaining recognition with a new audience, finding that its staid reputation wasn’t attracting younger buyers and was limiting its future sales and growth plans.

In a bold move, Duresta chose to collaborate with heralded British designer, Matthew Williamson, who designed a stunning collection of contemporary furniture in his signature extrovert and lavish style – something far removed from the traditional fabrics most associated with Duresta.

The brief

Develop and execute a strategy to let the world know about this unique partnership between two British icons from very different worlds. Educate, inform and excite a new generation about Duresta furniture and entice retailers to stock the new range.

The strategy:
Photography

One of the first tasks Cool Blue embarked upon was a stunning editorial photography shoot. Art directed by Cool Blue, shot on location and styled by a leading home-interest editor, the shots were used throughout the various materials developed for the campaign.

Launch week

To kick-start the campaign, Cool Blue secured a five-page exclusive feature in The Telegraph Magazine, a title chosen for its design savvy readership. The spread appeared just days before a must-visit launch event at exclusive luxury retailer, Harrods. Guests included media contacts, influencers and celebrities. The event featured in leading London titles and social pages. All activity was shared across attendees’ social media channels, creating a real sense of excitement and buzz around the collection.

Design and development

The Telegraph Magazine piece was subsequently followed by the design and development of a beautiful press look book to introduce the collection to other media contacts. The look book helped tell the story, showcase the photography and ultimately secure extensive editorial coverage.

Social hype

Cool Blue joined forces with the Duresta, Matthew Williamson and Harrods social channels to publicise the launch event with an innovative teaser campaign prior to the Harrods collection launch as well as follow-up takeovers.

A new digital presence had to communicate the brand repositioning. The architecture of the site had to match the newly created product collections and it had to be easy for the end user to get to their desired product in as few clicks as possible.

Cool Blue developed a whole new website and designed a product configurator allowing users to create their own sofa or chair and see it on screen in just a few simple clicks.