In 2018, I worked with the Bonfire Digital Agency to evolve the Best Bully Sticks identity into more of a rough-around-the-edges stamp to help bring the brand to the adventure based natural space.
We built the Best Bully Sticks brand to stand out as the clear choice. We targeted the dog owners who cared about simple and natural pet products by offering a variety of natural, single-ingredient dog chews. Our target was the online dog owner that wanted transparency and consistency for their pet.
The Best Bully Sticks brand was moving away from the catch-all ecommerce experience. They were focusing more on single ingredients and simplicity. Therefore, the website needed to be clear, quick, and simple for any customer looking to buy chews for their adventure buddy.
The rebranded Best Bully Sticks packaging moved towards the simplistic aspect of the brand by saying less and showing more. To do that, we leaned on rawhide alternative, #1 bully stick brand, and bigger windows to show the product.
For social media, Best Bully Sticks focused heavily on the natural textures, close up shots, and simple illustrations to show their new identity.
In 2018, Best Bully Sticks partnered with Nascar’s Alon Day to promote the new, more rustic edge to the brand. Social media, posters, driver cards, as well as the car and fire suit were designed for the 2018 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series.
As I’ve worked with Best Bully Sticks for six years prior to the current branding, the following outlines some of the projects addressed during those years.
I worked with an in-house designer to create a product illustration library to use across the brand. The illustrations helped to build a playful identity as well as to provide a more welcoming approach to the body part dog chews Best Bully Sticks is known for.
Best Bully Sticks launched the illustration library with their Semi Annual Sitewide Sale, which effectively showed off their vast array of chews in a fun and interesting style difficult to achieve with photography.
Shortly after the illustration library was created, it was used to create patterns which could be used within the identity system. The left formed a subtle scatter texture used as a background for large text. The right provided a bolder, striped pattern for a more stylish feel.
The bold striped pattern provided an Instagrammable end package for Best Bully Sticks' customers to post with their happy dogs on delivery day. The color pallet also lended itself to Amazon exclusives such as Bully Jerky by Best Bully Sticks.
Best Bully Sticks new pattern and layout worked well in other formats such as the event program where employees would run a tent at local expos and festivals. For each event, the creative team would alter the BBS logo dog to fit the theme. The revised dog was then used on social media blasts and promotional materials handed out to customers to gain brand awareness.
The subtle scattered pattern was also used within the event program in the form of a van wrap that could be spotted and recognized a mile away. The stacked sticks gave the impression that the van was filled waist-deep with bullies. The big teal van became an expected sight to regulars at events such as the weekly South of the James Farmers Market.
TDBBS, Best Bully Sticks’ parent company wanted to embrace the fun spirit of their fuzzy clients. Plain stationary would not do. All stationary for TDBBS and the three main brands was designed to reflect their own look and personality. This included a branded flipbook sticky note pad used by employees and given away as SWAG at trade shows.
The Best Bully Sticks brand was starting to simplify at this point and they had an all new marketing presence. To keep up, the website needed to be optimized for customers and the visual language needed an update.
Product education for social media was key for Best Bully Sticks as they were competing with the old go-to, rawhide. To help in this area, several infographics were created to explain the health benefits and the processes used to set the brand apart.
