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Elmwood NYC and Jet.com win big at 2018 Vertex Awards V with Uniquely J

14 June 2018

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14 June 2018 - WalMart-owned online retailer Jet.com and Elmwood NYC will steel the show today at this year’s Vertex Awards V with private label Uniquely J. 

Uniquely J Fig & Thyme Mini Crisps packaging design will win silver at the international private brand design competition, and Best of Show has been awarded to Uniquely J Badass Espresso. The awards will be handed at the Creative Shin Studio in New York this afternoon (EST).

Uniquely J was launched by Jet.com last year as a new challenger in the battle for market share in the rapidly emerging e-commerce private label category and signalled a radical new direction for branding in the private label category. Created by Elmwood NYC, Uniquely J was launched to meet the unique needs and shopping behaviour of the 21st Century urban millennial, while breaking traditional category codes of the private label grocery brand. Elmwood NYC delivered the strategic direction, naming and creative execution of the Uniquely J brand experience, from online shopping environment to packaging design.

A strategy delivering “Wow”

Competition for dominance in the e-commerce retail space is fierce, and relatively new online challenger Jet.com sought to build a brand for the ‘urban millennial’ that made shopping more transparent, efficient and fun.

With help from Elmwood, Jet.com launched its own private label range, Uniquely J, with the aim to disrupt the e-commerce experience by injecting more fun into shopping for groceries online. Elmwood’s strategic response was grounded in a detailed understanding of the urban millennial audience and the radically shifting dynamics of e-commerce and retail.

Elevating the brand experience

The name, Uniquely J, sets up the unique brand experience the consumer will receive from Jet.com’s store brand. The private label brand includes household and grocery products with a focus on quality ingredients. Its illustration style creates a uniquely playful experience that definitively breaks with the traditional codes of the value-driven private label industry, delivering shareable moments both online and offline with illustrations and packaging that tell a story.

The abstract illustrations leave a unique impression across every brand touch point and go beyond a simple mark or symbol. The large illustrations amplify the premium qualities of the range, while a small Jet.com logo serves as mark of quality provenance. Engaging use of copy on pack communicates the brand’s offbeat and lively nature.

Vertex Award V – Silver – Uniquely J Fig & Thyme Mini Crisps

Jet.com Brand Innovation variety packs
Jet.com Brand Innovation variety packs

Uniquely J’s Fig & Thyme Mini crisps were designed using bold graphics that depict a play on words. In Fig and Thyme Mini Crisps, the illustration is compiled of clocks (time) and brightly coloured figs. Also included in this illustration style is a photograph of the item itself, highlighting the actual food.

Vertex Award V – Best of Show – Uniquely J Badass Espresso

Jet.com Brand Innovation Coffee Pack
Jet.com Brand Innovation Coffee Pack

Our coffee illustrations were developed using a tattoo style artwork. Each SKU was designed using elements that relate to the individual roast of coffee. For our Badass Espresso, we went with a “badass” skull. We also differentiated our espresso skus by using a black colorway as opposed to the more natural look of the single serve, ground, and whole bean coffee skus.

Jet.com UniquelyJ Coffee Range brand identity sketch in progress by illustrator Iain MacArthur
Jet.com UniquelyJ Coffee Range brand identity sketch in progress by illustrator Iain MacArthur

“I’m delighted that we have received such fantastic recognition for our work on Uniquely J,” says Nulty White, Head of Client Partnerships and Studio Lead at Elmwood NYC. “The opportunity here was to reimagine private label, making it an innovative brand in its own right—one that delivers moments of ‘wow,’ excitement, and that all-important consumer smile.”

Ben Greengrass, Creative Director, Elmwood NYC, says: “We wanted to create a brand that did not just deliver a strong experience online, but also in the home. We wanted to create something for Jet.com that their consumers would be proud to have out on display on their kitchen counters. So we added elements of fun in the packaging which could be dialled up or down depending on the product.”

Nulty added: ‘Digital shopping has become the norm for many shoppers. The consumer brands that embrace this unpredictable retail landscape and learn to flex seamlessly between digital and physical channels, while offering consumers something unique, will win.’

To find out more about the work, click here.

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Further reading

Elmwood strengthens NYC studio with new Executive Creative Director hire.

12-week accelerator programme, Elmwood LaunchPod, to launch in September

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