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    A Brand Rises Above

    Oben is a photography supports brand that creates tripods, ballheads, and other related accessories, with a stated goal of providing the best balance between quality and value. As one of the first brands of the newly formed Gradus Group to hit the market, Oben had to hit the mark, and literally rise above its competition. Our key challenge was finding a space and position for Oben in a market that’s crowded by well-established camera support brands. The goal of course was to bust through the clutter, and get noticed. And that we did, considering Oben supports sold out its initial production run within its first month on the market.

    This was due to our building the brand around the ideals of strength, and trust, coupled with sound technological engineering. We sought to bring these ideals out in our choice of name, tagline, bold logo, color set, and supporting product materials to provide the right amount of detail and guidance. Finally, in addition to creating the name and branding for Oben, we were tasked with developing an assortment of product and packaging materials for some 40 support products – all in 4 weeks.

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    • Name + Logo

      Our quest for developing the Oben brand began by scouring the camera support landscape and discovering trends in competitor brand names that would provide the blueprint for standing out. After narrowing down our concept list and conducting preliminary trademark verifications, Oben was born. Oben, meaning "above," signified the brand’s position as a reliable support platform for cameras of every size. The logo was designed to further strengthen this ideal, with the arrow-like mark pointing upwards. This concept is carried across all materials to reinforce the idea that Oben is a solid choice for supports. The tagline we created - “You’re on steady ground” - serves to further the brand message.

    • Product Design

      Designing the product markings for all Oben supports came with its own set of challenges. Preserving product integrity was crucial, which meant keeping the markings simple enough to be practical, yet remain sufficiently striking so that Oben stands out and always leaves a mark.

    • Packaging

      We were responsible for creating the design system for all Oben product packaging. The goal was simple: develop a design that embodies professionalism while also calling the proper attention to it as it sits atop a store display. Ensuring the design system would be flexible across various media and material types was key, since there was a wide variety of executions needed. The packaging follows the direction set with the logo, as the branded arrow always points upward, and reminds the user they can ‘rise above’ with Oben.

    • Product Manuals

      The new company was determined to guide their customers every step of the way by providing clear and concise user directions. As a result, YODI assembled a team consisting of product experts, technical writers, a copy editor, and a factchecker in order to dissect each product and develop detailed step-by-step product manuals. In all, over 12 manuals were created for the full range of supports from tripods, ballheads, monopods and tabletops.

    • Website

      The new brand needed an online home to its own. YODI was called upon to further the brand we created in the form of a website. We introduced web-specific guidelines to make it user friendly, while selling the core messages of the new brand.

    • Print Ad

      We created a print spread as a means to introduce the Oben brand to the public. The headline and imagery send a clear message that Oben tripod systems can be taken anywhere, and will always provide the sturdy support professionals rely on. Essentially there is a dual message at play here 1) Use the same product on varying terrain and in different situations, or 2) use any of the tripod types - i.e. tripod, monopod, lateral - and you’ll always be on steady ground. In presenting the various situations, we succeeded in reinforcing the brand message, and by presenting a variety of actual Oben supports, we were able to provide a practical idea of the brands product range. The ad also served as a basis for other marketing materials.