RIT DYE 

The Ask: 

Breathe life into a tired brand from yesteryear

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The PROBLEM: 

Today, it seems easier than ever for at home crafters to get inspired and create. But, in a world where craft supplies and creative inspiration are easily accessible, dyeing fabric seems out of reach. Confusing instructions and perceived difficulty has knocked Rit Dye from mid-century popularity to the bottom shelf of the laundry aisle.

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THE IDEA: 

While Rit is not the only brand in the dye category, most of their competitors are either sold in children's art kits (Tulip brand) or in high-end, specialty art stores (ProCion, iDye, etc.). Because Rit is an adult crafting and home improvement product, our strategy was to make Rit dye the cake mix of the fabric dye category: an easy introduction for the weekend crafter.

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ThE Executions: 

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1. Initially, Rit Dye instructions were extremely inconsistent: box dye instructions differed from bottle dye instructions which were all different from what was housed online. Our first step was to create a universal set of instructions and to make them as clear and mistake-proof as possible through a packaging redesign.

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2. Fabric dye is only one part of the fabric dyeing process--you also need gloves, dish soap, vinegar, salt and even dye fixatives for most projects. To help make dyeing as easy as possible, we created an all-in-one kit to help users get over their fear of dyeing.

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3. Rit accurately claims that their dye products can create any color under the sun--if you happen to live near a store that has all of their 30+ products stocked, that is. Because some custom blends require three or more standard colors to create, we designed an in-store kiosk that can take any hex code and mix your desired color right there in the bottle for you. 

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Why is this a good idea? 

Instagram and Pinterest have turned DIY-ing and home economics into a hot hobbies worth bragging about. This marks a great opportunity for Rit to break into the world of crafting as the master of "before" and "after" photo ops, and our positioning strategy and executions aim to make Rit the go-to fabric dye brand.

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What Did Lou Do? 

1. Consumer research and identification of market opportunity

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2. Strategy and positioning development

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3. Presentation design