BUSINESS STRATEGY + design & development

Puzzle Product Lines

WHAT & WHY

Lantern Press serves their wholesale customers through location-based, custom artwork they print-on-demand. These products are then sold at those customers’ gift shops and stores. The company desired to expand into the gift industry with less-localized products that could be sold to a wider customer base (wholesale & B2C) and be made in bulk.

With the success of the “Protect Our National Parks” product line, next steps were to expand further into the gift industry with a proven product type.

BRAND

Firelight by Lantern Press

MY ROLE

Executive Leadership
Business Strategy
Creative Direction

- Product Designer & Developer: Karin Pascho
- Art Director: Jill Labieniec
- Illustrators: Mary Atwood, Nichole Daniels, Trista Sydloski-Tesch, Morgan Kreig, Dan Schlitzkus, Nguyen Tran
- Designers: Jill Labieniec, Trista Sydloski-Tesch
- Copywriters: Francesca Merlini, Stephen DeWilliam
- Project Manager: Rhonda Riegel

ABOUT THE WORK

CHALLENGE

The target gift customer skews unisex/feminine, responds to trends, desires high-quality products for gift-buying and personal passions. Whereas the Lantern Press customer skewed unisex/male and purchases products from locations they visit or desire to.

Create 2 lines of high-quality puzzles to be sold into the gift industry and compete with well-known & established brands. Artwork was to both have broad appeal and align to brand standards.

GOAL

Deliver a product line with art and packaging that fit within the Lantern Press’ brand ecosystem.
Successfully deliver a new product line on time and on budget.
Determine the roles needed to create the line & stay within budget
Write job descriptions and determine roles & responsibilities
Interview, hire & train the team
Determine project milestones & deadlines and keep the team on track
Continue to successfully deliver the needs of the core business (art customization & print-on-demand)

RESULT

With the contrast in business goals, customer types, brand execution, and go-to-market strategy from the Lantern Press brand, I proposed a sub-brand called “Firelight by Lantern Press”. This approach allowed the company to expand while clarifying and therefore strengthening the core brand.
Firelight by Lantern Press leveraged the core brand’s themes (i.e. outdoor adventure, coastal, travel, flora & fauna) fitting into the Lantern Press ecosystem.
We successfully delivered a new product line on time and on budget while continuing to successfully deliver on the needs of the core business (art customization & print-on-demand)
This product line was successfully sold in large retailers such as Barns & Noble, Paper Source, REI, LL Bean, as well as smaller gift, boutique, and bookstores.
1% of all Firelight sales were donated through their partnership with 1% for the Planet which aligned to the brand’s identity.