Student Spotlight: Rebranding Kmart

Recent graduates of the Academy of Art University, Renata Gandha, Caitlyn Gibbons, and Derek Smith, and Linda Soelystio completed a conceptual redesign of the Kmart brand, under the guidance of Michael Osborne.

"We targeted a fictional everywoman named Chloe. She is the fashionable, young, post-college woman establishing her independence; she's the new mom who's doesn't want hand-me-downs; she's a baby-boomer who does NOT consider herself an old fart. To help Kmart stand out among their competitors and gain market share, we created two tiers; Vida, a higher end price point for food, home, and health and beauty and K, an economical alternative for every day needs. An organic line spun off of the K line, seeking to reach a broader audience with select fair trade and organic products. Full Belly Bistro is a Kmart-endorsed, kid friendly cafe that offers the perfect pick-me-up for both mother and child after a shopping spree. Across categories, our team pushed to create innovative packaging to ease consumer use, from corner tabs on spices to push dispensers on milk. We firmly believe that with such design-forward items, Kmart could keep current consumers and attract new ones from their competitors."