Over nearly a decade shepherding the Whirlpool brand, I learned a career’s worth about becoming a better creative, writing insightful strategy and truly listening to clients and colleagues. I’m forever grateful to have experienced firsthand, advertising’s ability to make a difference with our Habitat campaign. I will never forget all our globe-trotting adventures during our “Innovations” commercial TV shoots. And the elation from the launch of the “Chores” campaign was a full-circle moment where strategy and creativity were perfectly married. The examples below only scratch the surface but hopefully provide some understanding of the core brand truths that fueled the ideas.
All projects: Strategy / Creative Direction / Art Direction / Design
From Goddess
To Innovations
Continuing Whirlpool’s highly successful European efforts, the “Goddess” campaign was launched domestically in 2000. But this was a case of “one size does not fit all.” We learned the Europe-produced ads weren’t resonating with Whirlpool’s target consumer in the States. This was an opportunity to reimagine the campaign for American audiences. The exhaustive research informed the campaign’s revisions but also fueled the brand’s eventual strategic makeover. We reworked the Whirlpool goddess to be less symbolic of nature’s elemental powers. The new goddess would play the role of muse, inspiring the brand’s approach to consumer-centric innovations.
From Goddess To Innovations
Brand Manifesto
Continuing to place consumer-centric innovation at its core, Whirlpool embraced a brand overhaul. As a way to better introduce their new strategy, we created a brand book that defined their “WHY”. This was an opportunity to firmly establish a foundation rooted in the company’s values. They truly believe that caring for your home and family is a noble and important effort born out of love. A truth that gave purpose to their innovation and engineering efforts.
The Chores Campaign
Being the mothership brand for the Corporation, it was important for Whirlpool to distinguish itself while continuing its tradition of category disruption. The core messaging for Whirlpool was all about care and empathy. We would use those squishy terms as the tip of the spear for a new brand direction. We retired the Goddess and started from a place of understanding and transparency. The “Chores” campaign was the first effort out of the gate to illustrate Whirlpool’s new brand strategy. Interviews with real women and their true attitudes inspired every aspect of the ads.
