Chewy
Roam free
Chewy is the leading online retailer of pet-related products, beloved by pet parents around the world for its responsive customer service and scale of selection. Focusing solely on a single category, Chewy has proven it’s possible to compete against online retailers like Amazon by doing one thing better than anyone. Chewy enlisted Athletics to bring character, empathy, and consistency to the master brand, helping it connect deeper with a growing global community of pet lovers.
Our Role:
Art Direction Brand Identity Brand Writing Concept Development Motion Graphics Packaging Physical Environments and Exhibitions Print Research and Strategy (in partnership with CO:)
Collaborators:
Co:Collective
Letting the brand off its leash
Shepherding cattle, chasing laser-pointers around the room, or catching a frisbee in the backyard, domesticated animals are happiest when they’re free to have fun. Pet lovers are the same. Working closely with our friends at New York-based strategy outfit Co:Collective, we developed a positioning around the idea of setting the Chewy brand free. We also recognized that pets are powerful catalysts for human connection, from friendly conversations in the dog park to spirited debates on online forums. So as much as the brand had to celebrate pets, it had to celebrate the incredible humans who care for those pets in equal measure.
Tip to tail
Rooted in this idea of giving the brand ample room to roam, we conducted a complete reboot of the Chewy visual identity. The new identity allows itself to get a little silly and splash around in the mud every once in a while. This new personality is primarily conveyed through motion, activating the Chewy logo and brand elements. When it comes to photography, we recommended a more citizen-inspired approach, while the new typographic system is slightly imperfect, like the tousled hair of an Australian shepherd after a romp in the park. Through a process punctuated by workshops and governance discussions with the Chewy design team, we deployed visual templates, provided guidance on implementation, built a digital toolkit, and developed a system of motion graphics. Knowing that Chewy packages are a familiar sight on doorsteps across America, we also re-imagined what the iconic brand box might look like in the future.
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Humankind’s best friends
Ultimately, the new Chewy brand is about putting the pet front and center and telling human stories about what pets mean to us in life in a more playful, heartfelt way. Pets are more than mere animals. Rather, they’re friends, members of our families, and immense sources of genuine comfort and love in good times and bad. We’ve been thrilled by the Chewy team’s enthusiastic adoption of the new brand, and are eager to see further implementation in the months and years to come.
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