D’Addario & Co.
NYXL
How do you launch a premium electric string in a stagnant market?
Tap into the ethos of the musician:
Fear. Vulnerability. Adrenalin.
And assuage these insecurities and aspirations with the unique characteristics of our new strings:
Strength. Stability. Sound.
NYXL
Play Fearlessly
How do you launch a premium electric string in a stagnant market?
Tap into the ethos of the musician:
Fear. Vulnerability. Adrenalin.
And assuage these insecurities and aspirations with the unique characteristics of our new strings:
Strength. Stability. Sound.
seeding in social:
Buzz:
Masses speak louder than marketers. We targeted electric guitar players through Facebook with an offer for free strings. (Who says no to free?) Those who responded received our pre-launch beta product in a sleek package with a letter asking for feedback on #xlformula3 and #nyxl. The posts rolled in, and player buzz around the new strings began.
The Play Fearlessly Project:
We strung up a Suhr Classic T Antique guitar with NYXL strings and passed it musician to musician (novice to professional), cross country, to create the longest continuous guitar lick ever played — all while demonstrating the durability, versatility and sound of NYXLs. After an initial six month period with the Suhr guitar, we opened up the site to any player who wanted to join in.
the campaign:
Manifesto Video:
Print:
Launch & Sustain
The product (Branding/Packaging): The packaging had to match the quality and desirability of the product inside. We used a foil stamp and pantone day-glows for the logo, minimal copy, and a soft touch coating over the whole pack. We sweated the details, right down to a UPC in the shape of a NYC skyline.
Collateral:
We designed custom collateral to be inserted into the cases of high-end guitar makers who chose to string their instruments with NYXLs — leveraging the relationship of NYXL with these premium brands.
Site:
We designed a responsive parallax site, to share the history, inspiration and science behind the invention of this breakthrough string.
Site developed by ICON interactive
The site is no longer live, but you can click below for a quick tour.
the result:
Creative Director
Team:
Michael Kim, Art Director, Print & Logo design
Christina de la Cruz, Art Director, Site & Experiential
Eric Molina, Copywriter
Michael Caradonna, Designer, Packaging
Sham Hinchey, Director of video and photography
Eduardo Araujo, Producer & Editor
Nick Spadafora, Production Assistant
Walter Gross, Director of Digital
Scott Heaney, Web Development
© 2023 Sarah Bruns. The work in this porfolio was designed and produced for the brands represented and is protected under copyright law. It shall not be infringed upon, reproduced, or redistrubuted without consent. All rights reserved.