Repositioning Martha Stewart's Bedding Line
This campaign was developed in response to a specific strategic challenge: to make a heritage brand known for tradition relevant to a hyper-specific, underrepresented demographic.
The assignment was to reposition the Martha Stewart Bedding line for the assigned target audience.
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The Assigned Audience:
Nonbinary People of Color (POC), aged 18-30.
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The Assigned Goal:
To shift the brand perception from "conventional and traditional" to "inclusive and empowering," increasing brand relevance among Gen Z.
The Execution:
To bridge the gap between Martha Stewart’s traditional image and the audience’s desire for self-expression, I developed the concept "Comfort Without Conformity". Recognizing that this audience often feels confined by societal labels, the creative work utilizes the visual metaphor of "boxes" to challenge those constraints. The resulting OOH campaign, #UnboxYourComfort, features transparent and deconstructed boxes, signaling that while the bedding comes in a box, the person sleeping in it doesn't have to.
The Challenge:
Martha Stewart’s bedding line is a household name for quality, but its emphasis on tradition created a barrier for Gen Z and Millennial consumers—particularly nonbinary people of color who prioritize brands that reflect their identities. The brand needed to evolve from "convention" to "connection".
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The Insight:
Our target audience, exemplified by the persona "Jordan," actively seeks home goods that allow for self-expression but often finds mainstream brands too "style-safe" or exclusively traditional. They don't want to fit into a pre-made mold; they want comfort that feels like them.
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The Solution:
Comfort Without Conformity. We developed an Out-of-Home (OOH) and digital campaign centered on the metaphor of the "box". Through copy like "The only label here belongs on the box" and visual metaphors of transparency, we repositioned Martha Stewart Bedding as a tool for personal affirmation rather than just a household utility.
Understanding the Audience
The Persona
"Jordan" 22, NYC
Jordan is a 22-year-old graphic designer and part-time server living in New York City who actively seeks brands that reflect their pro-LBGTQIA+ values. As a creative individual, Jordan struggles to find bedding that allows for authentic self-expression, finding most mainstream home decor brands to be too traditional and unrepresentative of their identity.
The Insight
Gen Z and millennials prioritize home goods that reflect their identities and lifestyles over simple tradition.
The Competition
​The Market Gap Competitors like Target are "style-safe" and mass-appealing, while Urban Outfitters lacks cultural depth. We found a gap for authentic inclusivity.
The Strategy
​The Strategic Pivot
We moved the brand away from "convention" and toward "connection." The strategy focused on repositioning Martha Stewart’s bedding line as an empowering choice that offers "Comfort Without Conformity". By embracing ambiguity and diversity, the brand could validate the consumer's identity while providing the high-quality comfort they deserve.
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The Execution
The campaign centered on the metaphor of "boxing people in." We utilized Out-of-Home (OOH) visuals that deconstructed boxes to challenge societal labels.
Visual Strategy
Using transparent structures and the taglines "You weren't made to fit a box" and "The only label here belongs on the box".
Media Channels
Targeted digital platforms (Instagram, TikTok) and high-traffic physical locations to meet the audience where self-expression thrives.
