American Freight puts updated spin on its brand
American Freight has updated its brand with a new visual identity and an integrated broadcast and digital campaign that aims to create a more fun and engaging shopping experience.
The company, which sells furniture, mattresses and "open-box" appliances that customers can take home on the spot, collaborated with The Shipyard on the brand refresh, which reflects a lighter and brighter shopping experience. It includes a new color palette, interior and exterior store signage and a new logo that collapses the brand name down to the letters “AF.”
“We wanted these newer elements, such as our signage and logo, to cut through all the noise in the market and really embody the simplified and value-based shopping experience we’ve delivered to our customers since day one,” said Lauri Joffe Turjeman, chief marketing officer at American Freight. “We are proud of the work we’ve done with The Shipyard and we’re excited to continue to deliver on that promise to our customers in a fun and engaging way through this brand refresh.”
The new national ad campaign takes a humorous look at the immediate gratification of purchasing affordable furniture or appliances, and reducing the typical stress of such significant purchases. It’s a significant departure from the typical “yell and sell” retail commercials that American Freight has been known for.
“The repositioning and campaign strategy is rooted in AF’s unique retail experience, one that caters to the immediacy of ‘getting’ versus the drawn out process of ‘shopping,’ ” added Dave Sonderman, chief creative officer for The Shipyard.
The brand refresh in in line with American Freight's new store format, which it launched in December in a few stores in Denver, and Tampa Fla., with plans to roll out to additional locations later this year. The stores feature enhanced product storytelling, interactive retail technology and customer service designed to make shopping for home furnishings hassle-free. A more spacious layout makes it easier for customers to browse, discover products and navigate the warehouse space.
In addition, the redesigned experience features augmented technology that lets customers visualize how furniture will look in their own home before purchasing. It also offers enhanced brand and product storytelling for open-box appliances, including a color-coded system that will help customers understand the condition of each item. Additionally, a more spacious layout makes it easier for customers to browse, discover products and navigate the warehouse.
American Freight, a subsidiary of Franchise Group, sells furniture, mattresses and appliances through its direct-to-consumer, warehouse-style stores and e-commerce site. The company has over 370 U.S. locations across 40 states, where customers can purchase new and open-box items and take them home.