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Michael Hill’s ambition was to break out from decades as a discount retailer to become a premium jewellery brand, in doing so capturing more of the market, finding new growth in higher-value customer segments.
Years of retail-led promotion had trained shoppers to buy from Michael Hill overwhelmingly on price, eroding quality perceptions and commoditising the product. Qualitative research confirmed Michael Hill brand was seen more ‘like a suburban accountant than a fine jeweller’(1) . This is a problem when you sell engagement rings!
The brand was fatigued, overly masculine and mass.
The business was aware the new high-value audience was full of hardened Michael Hill rejectors ‘an engagement ring from Michael Hill would be engagement suicide’(2) .
Brief;be the anti-thesis of mass.
Creative north star: Contemporary Nostalgia.
Inspired by our origin story, Michael and Christine Hill are the original independent jewellers.
We looked back to our origins to inform the brands future.