Optical brand New Look gets a whole new look

Who: Canadian retail optical brand New Look, with lg2 for strategy, design and advertising, along with illustrator Pascal Blanchet.

What: A total brand overhaul, including new brand architecture and advertising.

When & Where: The new brand has just been launched and is rolling out in phases, with creative on TV, online, radio, out-of-home and through social.

Why: The 30-year-old brand wanted a new modern look and feel that emphasized the intelligent design and timeless style of its products, as well as the quality and precision of its lenses.

“New Look represents the point at which things come into focus,” said Marc Fortin, partner and head of product at lg2. “The optical centre of excellence. This is where passion, design and savoir faire converge.”

How: The entire brand identity has been redone, designed to allow for “greater flexibility across all of its touchpoints,” said Fortin.

The new logo is a stylized N, meant to represent where light meets the eye (see the animation below), while the brand’s primary colour, featured in much of the advertising and illustrative work done by Blanchet, is a deep purple.

New Look wanted an ad campaign that was stylish but emphasized its ability to make lenses that precisely meet customer needs. A 30-second TV ad (running in French and English) features a suave, sophisticated man-lynx (vaguely reminiscent of the talking version of Wylie Coyote) who explains just how precise New Look lenses are.

Why a lynx? Because lynx are known for their remarkable eyesight, and lg2 wanted a “character with perfect eyesight to talk about perfect eyesight,” said Fortin. “The man-lynx, who obviously doesn’t need glasses, extols the merits of New Look experts across TV spots, online videos and social media initiatives.”

Quote: “At the heart of New Look’s mission is the desire to combine design and expertise, to deliver optimal vision and an unparalleled service. The campaign that lg2 developed for us carries this message very effectively.”—Antoine Amiel, president of the New Look Vision Group.

David Brown