Extreme makeovers
As with Dole, the W.M. Barr company in Memphis, Tenn., came to a crossroads as the audience changed for its lines of paint thinners, specialty cleaners, strippers, and solvents. This was a gradual shift, from a specialized group of building contractors toward a broader audience of hobbyists and DIYers. Before this realization, W.M. Barr’s products had evolved without a strong relationship between categories. There was also no real hierarchy of product information on the package, which meant that the packages could drive away home improvement novices trying to educate themselves.

Proteus developed a new brand architecture for Barr’s product lines that visually connects the three lines while categorizing them according to their purposes.

It’s not easy for companies to admit that what they’ve been doing is simply not working. When they do face facts, though, they open the door to the possibility of tossing out much of their equity in favor of a radical new approach.

BEFORE W.M. Barr’s several different lines of products all had unique looks, with no common design between them. There was also no obvious place for consumers to look to find out what the product was used for and how to use it.

AFTER Proteus designers adopted elements of the original Citri- Strip packaging—a green band around the bottles—for the new packages, incorporating a classification system of photos to indicate distinct surfaces or tasks the products are used for. Different colored stripes indicate the various surface types.

Angled lines divide the Citri-Strip labels into neat sections, perfect for consistent placement of product information. This layout was also adapted for W.M. Barr’s entire line of strippers, removers, and painting prep products, using different color palettes. Designers struck on the idea of letting pictures tell the story of the product’s purpose, so consumers could visually associate the product’s purpose with a task.