Branding
for The Healthy Back Bag
While recovering from back surgery following a roller-skating accident in the late 80s, Margery Gaffin had an idea. Her idea was an ergonomically-shaped bag that hugs the natural curve of your back, distributing the weight evenly down your spine. This idea became the Healthy Back Bag®.
Every Healthy Back Bag is a combination of versatility, practicality and style. Its pocketing not only keeps your possessions organised, but also shares the weight evenly around the bag’s interior. This makes the bag feel lighter, putting less stress on your neck, back and shoulders.
What’s more, they look great!
The Challenge
In 2018, after years of sustained growth and evolution, Healthy Back Bag needed a new and exciting brand update, led by consumer research.
The challenge was, Healthy Back Bag was seen as a medical brand. As we got to know the business, we felt this perception was selling them short. Sure, Healthy Back Bags are great for your back, but they look stunning too. To drive the brand forward, we believed Healthy Back Bag should become a fashion brand that retains health benefits.
Hey, we love a challenge!
The Process
To get to the heart of who they are and the essence of their brand, Healthy Back Bag conducted extensive market research and customer interviews. Researchers asked customers what Healthy Back Bag means to them, as well as what they think of the brand.
Would our feeling that Healthy Back Bag was a fashion brand trapped in a medical brand’s body be echoed by the customers?
It quickly became apparent that Healthy Back Bag meant different things to different people. After a two-day brand workshop, three words seemed to continually come up in conversation.
When we say ‘balanced’, we don’t mean it only in the ergonomic and comfort sense. It’s part of a holistic lifestyle. The Healthy Back Bag is perfect for city slickers and ramblers; equally at home at the office or on the beach.
Our next challenge was how to translate the brand statement into a bold new look.
The Solution
We proposed a solution of abstract imagery that promotes the idea of balance without immediately identifying the product.
To reflect the ‘beautiful’ aspect, we used bold, block colours, based on the innovative, exciting and colourful Healthy Back Bag designs.
Website Branding
Finally, we supported the brand relaunch with a new, modern, bespoke e-commerce website, entirely developed by March.
The end result? The Healthy Back Bag brand is at home with the world’s most fashionable brands; the perfect combination of form and function.
These are all wrong... is what we would say if we were living in some weird alternative reality. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new branding and direction!Bobby Creger
Brand Manager, Healthy Back Bag
