Zebco

Agency: Cue
Creative Director: Alan Colvin
Designer: Matt Erickson
Copy Writer: Jake Nassif
Project Type: Produced
Client: Zebco
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Packaging Contents: Sporting goods
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Paper, plastic, cardboard
Printing Process: Digital, offset, foil stamping

When watchmaker R.D. Hull created a better fishing reel back in 1949, his patented discovery reinvented fishing, making it easier than ever before to explore the outdoors. Today, fishing’s popularity has been challenged by an outdoor category offering an almost unlimited array of activities. Zebco not only needed a way to reposition itself in the category, but also to be more visible, identifiable and competitive with other contemporary outdoor brands.

Our work began with an approachable new wordmark, intentionally simple to align the brand with its easy-to-use products; iconic and confident enough to stand out in the retail environment. The wordmark abandons the former logo’s heavy-handed quality, but retains the underline as a nod to the past. The Z icon becomes the simplest brand expression.

In 1954, Zebco introduced the 33, destined to become “America’s Favorite Reel.” Borrowing from the classic reel shape, we created a structure for iconography that pays homage to the brand’s most popular product.

The packaging system accommodates three tiers of products, product names with variations, and an array of benefits and features. Value, flagship and premium tiers manage layers of information, designed for easy navigation by consumers. Packaging forms include hang tags for open stock, boarded rod and reel combos, and clam packs and boxes to house individual reels.

Previous product packaging was cluttered and inconsistent. New packaging makes the brand visible using a prominent wordmark, brand color and “Z” stripe as a visual disruptor. Boarded items act as “billboards” at retail, maximizing the brand’s visibility.