When I arrived at Pendleton Woolen Mills as the new Graphic Designer, I was ready to roll my sleeves up and refresh everything I could get my hands on. One of the most exciting and ambitious improvements was updating from rollstock hangtags and bringing Pendleton’s divisions back together with a cohesive brand message, hangtag, and packaging system.

To prepare, I asked our team intern to audit every hangtag and branding item. We talked to our retail associates and managers to identify improvements for their processes. We compiled a presentation with that feedback identifying more than twelve styles of brand tags among hundreds of supplemental tags in a variety of sizes and locations on product. The presentation and location of tags created confusion for customers, a chaotic brand message, and did not reflect the quality of merchandise we produce. Most bellybands, boxes, and blanket inserts were on the right track, but some brand color, style, and font updates were needed to match our new direction.

Through the audit process we decided to simplify to three brand tag options and create a consistent waterfall card system allowing for a feature tag, collection tag, story card, brand tag, care tag, and price tag. Once I established a design direction for each tag I handed it off to our freelance designer who helped us tackle the feature, story, and care tags. Our Product Integrity Manager developed a standard for the location of tags on apparel, accessories, and home product. The result has been a huge visual and messaging improvement on the floor. It has decreased costs and confusion and improved efficiency within the product development and merchandising teams.

CREATIVE DIRECTION Kathy Monaghan, Andrea Capp
DESIGN DIRECTION Andrea Capp
DESIGNERS Andrea Capp, Susan Bard (freelance hire)
DESIGN INTERN Johannah Roake
COMPANY Pendleton Woolen Mills