AMERICAN GIRL

Girls learn through role-play. Through characters that knit into a girl’s life, this quintessential American brand embodies the personal achievements of girls in history and tradition.

Yet since the founding of American Girl in 1985, the brand had drifted from its premium upscale base. Fragmenting among sub-brands, each with its own look and feel, the brand started to lose its deepest reason-for-being—to inspire and empower.

American Girl asked Parham Santana to uncover the essence of the brand and design a roadmap for continued growth. For guidance and inspiration, we turned to girls and their moms.

In custom-designed qualitative sessions with moms, we learned something of value. Moms view American Girl as far more than a plaything. Despite confusing sub-brands and an unfocused message, American Girl was still “the brand that girls love and moms trust.”   This bed-rock truth stayed constant because moms viewed American Girl as a brand that truly empowered their daughters.

We also found that the brand was associated with the color “berry” and the five-pointed star. Working from the shelf back, we knew how to design a new cohesive look and integrate sub-brands into one coherent message.