Nothing short of an entirely new brand would suffice to address everything GOP now offered beyond “office products.” That meant starting where we always do with branding exercises: research. We spoke with stakeholders, analyzed competitors, put the NPS score under the microscope, and gathered insights from our work with other clients in the industry in the Portland and Seattle markets. This informed a brand strategy that laid the foundation for our creative and ensured every move we made was supported by data and formed a cohesive new vision.

The bulk of our research came from two exercises: stakeholder interviews and a competitive analysis. We spoke with both internal and external stakeholders to piece together the public perception of the brand, its services, and Steelcase partnership. Then we took a deep dive into the brands of five major competitors, analyzing logos, color palettes, typography, and brand voices to uncover opportunities for the newly-branded Acre to stand out.

As a name, General Office Products had equity and history behind it, but it no longer described what the company did. Sticking with a descriptive name wouldn’t work — the company’s current services were simply too broad — so we leaned heavily into expressiveness. Hence, Acre. It evokes an image of openness, expansiveness, and freedom of creativity — qualities that led us right into the new brand anthem: Places of possibility.

This was supported by a completely new brand voice and visual identity suite. The result? A radically fresh look and feel that no longer limited how the brand would be perceived by customers.