Rebranding is typically done to a product when a company’s spreadsheets show that a product is failing in sales or market share. The company will try to jazz it up, jazz it down and try to give the old the look of something new and improved to spark interest in the masses. I can normally spot a rebranded product a mile off and feel that if I didn’t buy it before, there’s no reason to buy it now.
So imagine my surprise at my own reaction while browsing a local Michael’s at lunch yesterday. Aimlessly, I was going up and down the aisles of jelly bean colored yarn when my eyes were immediately drawn to a particular vertical row of yarn. The natural hues of the yarn were so warm and inviting. The label, with its hand-crafted paper feel and subtle tones gentle screamed old-world integrity and hand-made care. The label actually said “for knitting & crocheting.” A yarn company thought of the crocheters! And to seal the deal, there was French writing on the label. Well, that was it. French writing can only mean one thing…good quality.
I had to have this yarn. I needed to find a project fast so I could justify buying every color of this $8.99 wonder. It could be $9.99, I didn’t care. As soon as I could I browsed the patterns on Ravelry looking for just the right garment or accessory. I did a search for Fisherman’s Wool to see what other crocheters had made with this luscious yarn, and then it hit me. Before me were pictures and pictures of Fisherman’s Wool wrapped in a semi-gloss black and gold wrapper with a full-color picture of some model smiling to hide the pain of being a yarn model instead of America’s next top model. I had been caught in the rebranding net.
Typical when I discover that I have fallen for a marketing tactic I come to my senses and the need to purchase diminishes. But even while writing this post and looking at the pictures, I know I’m going to end up with that yarn. I like looking at that label. It makes me feel like I’m part of a craft and not a mass production. Félicitations, Lion Brand, vous avez gagné.
If, like me, you enjoy seeing how companies rebrand products (even places), I suggest visiting one of my daily stops Brand New. You’ll get to see everything from the rebranding of Jack-in-the-Box to the identity change of Blackwater., and typically all before the general public sees it.
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4 comments
~drew emborsky~ says:
May 27, 2009 at 6:23 am (UTC -8 )
This stuff is great for felting too!
Big Treble says:
May 27, 2009 at 7:26 am (UTC -8 )
I think the French text goes into greater detail about the supreme advantages of its felting abilities.
Sabrina says:
May 27, 2009 at 7:50 am (UTC -8 )
I’ve always loved Fisherman’s Wool. It’s so much fun to work with, felts great, and is nice and tweedy for heavier weight winter cardigans. I love that the new packaging better reflects the product.
Cora Shaw says:
May 28, 2009 at 11:26 am (UTC -8 )
I fell in love with Fisherman’s Wool, after ordering a little bag off of Lion Brand, the Felted Snowflake Bag. In Canada Fisherman’s Wool isn’t available anywhere. So I thouhg ti would give it a try.
Cora