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Materials Matter 01:
The Crane Stationery Rebrand
A conversation with COLLINS on how they
reinvigorated one of the U.S.'s oldest brands and
celebrating the enduring power of paper.
Few brands have as rich and storied history as Crane. The first American currency was printed on Crane paper, the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton began as a note written on Crane stationery, and Jackie Kennedy would use nothing but Crane to pen a personal note. All this, a reminder that before texts and tweets, there was paper; and few paper brands have withstood the test of time like Crane.
Last year, our sister company Crane Stationery asked the people at COLLINS and Nucleus to embark on a brand evolution. COLLINS worked closely with Crane’s teams to revitalize their brand, reboot their digital presence, and develop a more relevant brand voice as well as enabling new products, artist collaborations, and customization capabilities. Central to their creative exploration was paper itself, the types of communication it encourages, the role paper played in the 200+ year evolution of Crane, and what paper can become in a hyper-digital age. To weave words is to sew worlds.
Watch our conversation about communication, design, heritage, and materials, as we dive deep into the reimagination of Crane Stationery. This dialogue was facilitated by Chris Harrold, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Creative at Mohawk, featuring Nick Ace, Creative Director and partner at COLLINS, Brian Collins, Chief Creative Officer at COLLINS, and Elizabeth Talerman, Partner at Nucleus.
