- Client:
- Balabala
- What we did:
- Brand Strategy, Identity, Storytelling, Communications Design, Interaction Design, Retail Design
- Where
- China
The Challenge
Chinese childrenswear brand Balabala's fashionable offer spans newborns to teenagers. However, their existing identity and store concept needed a grown-up makeover in order to appeal to the older end of their audience, communicate their trend-setting credentials and encourage their young shoppers to experiment with their style.
The Solution
We created the experience vision ‘Together we dream’ to appeal to the Millennial parent and kids of all ages, with a focus on the Gen Alpha mindset. Complete with a new-look logo and a more sophisticated design language based around contrast, the style-led concept is akin to the fashion brands that parents love to shop in, whilst being full of playful shapes, surprising moments and fun, punchy colours to delight and entertain children.
Infectious energy
We felt Balabala’s old logo needed a more grown-up, cutting-edge transformation. We captured the brand's fashionable attitude in a contemporary new identity that's full of energy and works well with any digital content.
All about contrast
At the core of the new identity are two simple forms - a circle and a rectangle - combined to create bouncy, characterful letters for the wordmark instead of using more traditional typography. The two shapes are used together throughout the wider brand and store design, creating a design language of contrasting forms and unexpected pairings.
Grown up candy
Along with a more refined logo, we also introduced an expanded colour palette with more sophisticated shades for the brand to use alongside their signature yellow. But we made sure to give the new additions fun monikers, such as Orange Juice, Candy Floss and Bubblegum, to make sure things remained magical and appealing to the brand’s younger fans.
Endless inspiration
In the centre of the store sits the interactive Infinity Wardrobe - a 360° rotating display of outfits creating a mix-and-match approach to outfit combinations. Young fashion fans can pick ‘n' mix their products to create a bespoke outfit that expresses their own unique style.
Creating a destination
Yellow circular framework creates a clear destination for service and fitting rooms, turning trying-on clothes into a family moment and reflecting the brand’s extroverted personality. Iridescent cylinders within the zone create quirky changing pods, which are surrounded by seating, merchandise and playful activations such as claw machines to keep children entertained.
Dream Capsule
The Baby Department at the back of the store is a cosy destination - a space that puts Mum at the centre of the experience (she is the key decision-maker in the Chinese market) and allows her to relax whilst shopping for her baby’s fashion. Designed to be a much calmer zone, the walls are covered in soft pastel felt panels & playful lighting, and seating is provided. Product stories such as the use of organic cotton are highlighted and customers can also use the private baby feeding and changing room located in the space.
