LOGO & BRAND DESIGN
The company typically dabbled in traditional heaters and fans, with uninspired branding and bland marketing. What they did know was that one of their direct competitors, Mr. Heater, had a patent expiring on their ultra-successful Buddy heater. If Pinnacle could enter the personable portable heater market quickly and with enough punch, the move could prove lucrative.
Their new Heat Hog would be the first and only portable heater that's built to tilt, with a convenient 30˚ tilt action. Its convex heat panel delivers extra-wide coverage for you or a whole pack of party animals. To sweeten the deal, Heat Hog's propane tank is housed inside a proprietary warming dock, boosting runtime by up to 40%.
“Our vision is to make the world a more comfortable place.” – Mr. Heater vision statement
Safe and reliable heat since 1957.” – Mr. Heater website description
“….you can be sure that you will enjoy years of comfortable indoor safe heat.” – Mr. Heater University
Sorry, Buddy. Comfort just ain’t gonna cut it.
To strategically differentiate Heat Hog from Mr. Buddy’s offering, we focused on users who got out of their comfort zone, never sat still, and don’t want cold to get in their way of having a great time.
PRIMARY USER
Built for the rugged, outdoorsy types who get fired up by challenge and opportunity. The hunters, fishers, campers and lovers of everything off the beaten path.
SECONDARY USER
The builders, crafters, fixers and all the other people who never hesitate to take matters into their own hands.
SECONDARY USER
The entertainers, tailgaters, picnickers and those who take the “free” in free time seriously.
Because our agency was strapped with too much work and too few strategists, the copywriter and I were left to our own devices to strategically differentiate Heat Hog from Mr. Buddy’s offering. We imagined a brand that encouraged its customers to get out of their comfort zone.
Knowing that we'd have to hand the branding off to the internal team, phrases were deconstructed to formulate rules for continued voice consistency. Because nothing says fun quite like phoneme categorization, right?
Meet Rocket Pig: our fearless mascot. He’s a handsome hog with sharp edges and tough determination. He’s the distilled essence of an untamed spirit. He’s the rocket-propelled adventurer who once heard “when pigs fly” and replied “hold my beer.”
It took a few iterations to fatten him up to be more boar-like and less piglet. Unfortunately we ultimately ditched the tusks, but kept a snout variation and updated flame.
HALF-BOAR
FULL-BOAR
FIERCE BOAR
While Rocket Pig can (and often does) exist independently from the brand name, the official logo also features Heat Hog in a strong custom typeface. The horizontal lockup is the primary option, the vertical option is welcome to be used in moderation.
Orange is the color that gives Rocket Pig his fire, but remember to use it thoughtfully. If you overdo it, the color loses its pop. That’s why our our other primary color is a simple gray (plus its tints) — it’s all about creating space for the orange to really grab attention.
We've also got a purple (for when you need another accent to balance out the orange) and a black (for creating black-on-black accents when it won’t give your printer a headache).
To up the ante, we loaded the brand with textural elements. Use Icons when oinks and grunts aren’t enough, or hype unique product features with Stamps. Outdoor-inspired Patterns add subtle character to solid-colored surfaces. Finally, nothing captures a rugged, time-worn look like Rips, which give life to otherwise flat designs.
We’re not just creating a product. We’re creating a herd: a pack of outdoor animals of every stripe, united by an untamed spirit. To sell Heat Hog as the hottest accessory for adventurers, we also need them to feel part of an unbridled community.
A Wildhead is a branded, ownable photography style made with animal heads on human bodies to depict an active outdoor lifestyle. It creates a strong brand look that can engage with consumer lifestyles, particularly on social media. #wildhead
Wildheads are meant to tell unique stories of adventure with animals indigenous to the photo’s location (or relevant to the activity being portrayed).
In general, Wildheads are used to add personality to secondary touchpoints (web, print, social, etc.) and to highlight a lifestyle rather than a product.
"We've never made a product quite this fun, and I think everyone on our team can feel it."
