Gerbing Heated Clothing

Wearable Technology brand positioning + Identity

Brief as received

We bought a 30 year old power-sports apparel company out of bankruptcy for it’s technology.

The IP is for 12 volt heated Jackets, pants and gloves that plug into motorcycles and snowmobiles to keep you warm.

We plan to adapt the technology to 7 volt batteries to make premium outerwear for other winter sports like skiing and snowboarding.

The name is strong in power-sports, but re-position and re-imagine the brand as a modern “wearables,” technology start-up.

Research & Insights

Survey and interviewed Adults 18-54, motorcyclist and/or snow sports involved.

Everyone gets cold, but women are much more likely to pay a premium for things like “hand warmers” and more expensive winter resort-wear (puffer jackets, etc).

Women care more about the shape of what they wear in the cold - a constant tension between looking how they want and feeling warm (bulky jackets are “not flattering”).

Men really care about going fast on skis, snowmobiles, etc and windchill is a limiting factor.

Brands like Oakley and Fox were “motorsports cross-over” brands the targets accepted.

Re-framed brief

Going faster, longer is having more fun.

What does that look and feel like?

Sharpened audience definition

Two separate 29-64 adult year old audiences.

The 12 volt target most likely to own power sports gear crosses over to the 7 volt target for hunting.

The 7 volt target ski frequently, live on the coasts, indexes more female, have higher education and HHI, but less power-sports.

Problem identified

The “Bulk of cold.”

Being warm means adding weight and limiting movement, slowing you down.

For Males, it’s about limiting movement adding layers.

For Females, the negative aesthetic of bulky solutions for warmth.

How can we be a modern, sophisticated solution for that?

Insight that shed new light

Brands about the cold are very common and established (TNF, Columbia, etc).

Brands about speed are exciting (Redbull, Oakley, etc).

This is about looking fast (sleek), and going fast.

How can we make a brand that protects you from “The Cold of Speed?”

Marketplace & cultural understanding

Gerbing has an army of loyalists in power-sports, but the name and brand is not exciting compared to the established competition in mountain sports.

Extending the brand into a new category will be difficult and may disrupt our loyal customer base.

A new way of thinking about the product or brand

Gerbing is a premium “Wearable Technology” company.

Gerbing makes “Thermo-Velocity Protection.”

Work the brief inspired

Gerbing - “Thermo-Velocity Protection”

“The Speedtag” brand system is a high-speed arrow that cuts through the cold.

Redesigned 12 volt entire line of existing products and designed a new 7 volt line all integrated with new look and feel.

Brand system for technologies, power-levels and heating performance.

Tagging system for in-product and on-product.

Packaging system with demo windows to “turn-on the product” without taking it out of packaging.

Lookbooks for sell-in and D2C commerce site for sell-through.

Results

Tripled Gerbing revenue in year one. Gerbing became the largest heated clothing brand in the world.

Gerbing Heated Clothing was acquired after just 18 months.