Words The Kanto Team and LIXIL
Images The Kanto Team
On a cool Bangkok evening on February 15, 2023, American Standard welcomed the winds of change with a brand relaunch that sought to, in LIXIL Asia Pacific Leader Satoshi Konagai’s words: “…more intimately connect with consumer needs,” a mission that is now enshrined in their new brand claim: LIFE.LOVE.HOME. The brand identity launch was held in the newly reopened Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand on a well-attended night that also saw the launch of a new product line, the Loven collection, geared towards the needs of city-dwelling Millennials and Gen-Z consumers.
“Rebranding a respected, legacy brand like American Standard is not easy, but we initiated this effort in order to effectively reach out and address our consumer’s ever-changing needs…many factors, like the current pandemic have rapidly shifted the priorities of our consumers; we want to change to better serve these needs,” Konagai explained in a one-on-one interview with Kanto on the day of the launch. A desire to unify the diverse expressions of the American Standard brand across markets also drove the facelift: “By uniting these different expressions into a singular voice, we can more clearly and powerfully communicate what the American Standard brand is all about,” Global Design Leader for Asia Antoine Besseyre des Horts shared to the press in the media launch.
The new brand identity also puts an emphasis on life’s little moments, where American Standard is glad to play a backstage role with the help of “dependable, inviting and pioneering” design. A trio of signature brand elements was introduced, visual expressions of the brand values subtly encoded within American Standard’s range of sanitary solutions. The Pillow (dependable), Taper (inviting), and Frame (pioneering) unite the brand’s product range in look, feel, and brand messaging. New innovations like the Duostix hand spray, the push-button operability of the EasyFLO collection, and the ever-expanding customization and finishing options available to consumers were also given emphasis during the media forum.
As to what aspect of the brand will be retained, American Standard will keep its present brand logo; the American arm of the brand will phase out its present calligraphic mark to adopt the cleaner, more approachable look of the global logo. While red has long been American Standard’s signature color, the rebrand will further maximize its striking potential with revised product packaging that emphasizes the shade, chosen for its ability to evoke love, passion, and connection.
To coincide with the launch, American Standard also unveiled a new collection that takes its name from the refreshed brand claim, fittingly enough, launched just a day after Valentine’s. The Loven collection is a suite of affordable sanitary solutions that are targeted toward city-dwelling young families. The product line, which consists of a range of faucets, basins, showers, and toilets, was designed to be versatile, offering clean, polished silhouettes that are fully featured yet endowed with compact footprints, perfect for urban residential typologies. The Loven range is expected to come out in APAC markets come June 2023.
“This rebrand is illustrative of LIXIL’s commitment to monozukuri, an approach that we hope to intensify in all our American Standard plants globally. Our consumers deserve no less,” Konagai added.
“We are happy to renew our commitment to our brand purpose—to enable people to create homes that they will love every day, by crafting products that are both purposeful and innovative, so our users can enjoy moments big and small with their loved ones.” Liza Cancino, Leader for Digital, Brand, and Channel Marketing shared during the launch.
The global launch was preceded by a suite of complementary events and tours open to American Standard retail partners, design specifiers, and media. Kanto will be releasing two exclusive interviews with Cambodia’s Martin Aerne and The Philippines’ Cathy Saldana, keynote speakers from the recently-concluded American Standard Design Catalyst L!VE conference, in the succeeding weeks. •
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