Fifty2: The My Private Brand Project

Derrick Lin

Global

Designer: Logo And Design Concept By Wallace Church
Author: Christopher A. Durham, Founder My Private Brand & Vice President Of Retail Brands Theory House
Website: Http://mypbrand.com, Http://www.theoryhouse.com/
Photographer: Teri Campbell
Country: United States

Retail-owned brands have come a long way from the black and white generic labels of the 1970s. The transition included a lengthy period of knock-offs, where retailers introduced “me-too” private labels that closely mimicked the look of national brands. Now, in his new book, Durham takes a focused look at notable private brands that have cracked the code and become true national brands, including Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Classics, Publix, Sephora, Trader Joe’s and Williams-Sonoma.

“These are the retailers who are doing it right,” said Durham. “They have evolved their private labels into consumer-focused brands and are devoting the resources necessary to build them with everything from advertising to packaging design. I think the biggest surprise while conducting research for my book was that even Walmart has some standout brands.”
Other retailers whose brands are featured in the book include Target, Staples, Kroger and Lowe’s Home Improvement.

The premise of “Fifty2: The My Private Brand Project” is to combat the erroneous perception that private brands in the United States are just a “value play” wrapped in bad design. Durham sets out to debunk that perception with this book, which is based on his yearlong blog project of the same name on his industry website, My Private Brand.

“Fifty2: The My Private Brand Project” includes profiles along with an examination of the strategies and learnings from the 52 featured brands as well as more than 200 original photographs from the award-winning photographer Teri Campbell. After reviewing more than 650 brands, Durham commissioned Campbell to visually portray the select brands in compelling ways and rethink traditional packaging photography. Durham’s book redefines not only the perception of private brand in America, but also its potential.

“One of the things I love about this project is that when I found the best brands, not all were from big retailers with big budgets,” said Durham. “Some brands, like Bi-Rite, are local surprises that truly deserve the recognition.”

“Fifty2: The My Private Brand Project” is now available on Amazon.com, mypbrand.com and theoryhouse.com.

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