About Exterioo
Exterioo, formerly Overstock Garden, is a retailer with 30+ showrooms in Belgium and the Netherlands. The shops, selling a wide range of garden furniture for an equally wide audience, are usually located in the periphery. A rebranding was necessary to clear up some misunderstandings and to tap into the full brand potential.
The soul
As a name, ‘Overstock Garden’ caused all kinds of confusion, suggesting that 1) all furniture is in stock and ready to take home, 2) is cheaper than average and 3) below-average quality.
Casual passers-by looking for a bargain often wound up frustrated. Customers who did find what they were looking for left the checkout disappointed that they still had to wait weeks before getting their order. Consumers looking for quality garden furniture stayed away from the stores entirely, or only came in after a friend had talked them into it.
The visual identity at the time did not counter the brand’s image as a ‘cheap stock sales' giant. On the contrary, the design only reinforced the wrongful perception.
It goes without saying that our recommendation was to align brand perception with reality, by coming up with a new name and visual identity that exude quality but at the same time respect the retail code.
The voice
'Exterioo' is deliberately descriptive, referring to outdoor life in a domestic sense (interior/exterior). The name sounds fresh and high-end, doing away with any link to stock sales. The double 'oo' adds character and of course helped us get our hands on the necessary URLs.
At the same time, 'Exterioo' comes across as an accessible brand, which is not unimportant for a retailer in the periphery who relies a lot on passing drivers. The fact that the new name does not create any international stumbling blocks is a nice bonus, if the brand would develop European ambitions.
The face
Exterioo also got a new look to match, the green stripes referencing the classic look of patio and garden furniture. Again: not unimportant for a retailer. This way, the design underlines the descriptive character of the new name.
Still, the renewed colour system is a subtle nod to the previous visual identity. A stylish means to create brand continuity, which our client greatly appreciated.
