Blink created a new brand strategy and visual identity for the outdoors brand Lundhags
CLIENT
Lundhags
LOCATION
Sweden
INDUSTRY
Outdoor Lifestyle & Gear
SCOPE
Branding, Identity
Product packaging
Concept Playbook
Branding, Identity
Product packaging
Concept Playbook
Originally known as a traditional outdoor boot company, Lundhags needed to evolve. Blink's strategic transformation introduced the concept of "Authentic Nordic," blending minimalist Nordic design and craftsmanship with a strong focus on sustainability and outdoor living. This new brand identity propelled Lundhags into the spotlight, placing its products in new, unexpected contexts. Once niche outdoor gear, Lundhags boots began appearing alongside high-fashion brands like Acne and Hope in Sweden’s top fashion magazines. The brand also gained visibility through TV shows, films, catwalks, and influencer collaborations, establishing its status as a global lifestyle icon.
Lundhags successfully transitioned from a traditional outdoor gear company into a highly sought-after lifestyle brand. Today, it represents not only durable outdoor products but also a sustainable, nature-focused way of living. The brand is synonymous with both fashion and functionality, deeply rooted in Swedish traditions. Following its transformation, Lundhags was acquired by the BRAV group, which continues to build on the brand’s legacy.
Blink´s comprehensive four-Step approach enabled Lundhags to evolve into a globally recognized lifestyle brand, appealing to a wider audience while staying true to its core values of quality, sustainability, and Swedish heritage.
The problem was clear, albeit tricky to navigate: How do you take a product synonymous with mud, sweat, and rocky terrain, and make it desirable on a city street or a fashion runway?
Lundhags was suffering from being too good at one thing. Their "outdated store format" and general brand presentation pigeonholed them strictly as "gear". In a world where the lines between urban living and outdoor exploration were blurring, Lundhags was still standing firmly on the mountain top, shouting into the wind. They faced a decline in relevance among younger, style-conscious demographics.
As a European retail design studio, our challenge was to bridge the gap between "survival gear" and "survival of the fittest" in the fashion world. We needed to restructure their category navigation and visual language so that a pair of boots looked as natural next to a high-end denim jacket as they did next to a survival knife.
To solve this, we couldn't just guess. We had to dig deep. Our team conducted extensive store audits, analyzed user journeys, and looked at the data. What we found changed the trajectory of the project.
Lundhags boots were worn by British paratroopers during the Falklands War.
Fun fact.
Younger shoppers don't want frictionless transactions in beauty — they want to stumble into things. Serendipity drives basket size.
If it's not worth filming, it's not worth the commute. Instagrammability isn't vanity — it's functional marketing infrastructure.
Flash sale energy isn't just about price — it's about urgency, scarcity, and the emotional high of "getting it before it's gone." That needed a stage.
From Strategy to Execution
Our strategy was bold: We stopped treating Lundhags like a boot company and started treating them like a cultural institution. We formulated the concept of "Authentic Nordic".
This wasn't about splashing Scandinavian flags everywhere. It was about distilling the essence of the Nordic mindset—functionalism, simplicity, and a profound respect for nature. Unlike competitors who were chasing neon colors and synthetic trends, Blink positioned Lundhags as the "quiet confidence" in the room.
We utilized our background as Scandinavian retail design experts to create a strategy that moved the brand laterally into the fashion space. We identified that to change perception, we had to change the context in which the product was seen. If you sell a hiking boot in a camping store, it’s a tool. If you sell it next to Acne Studios or Hope, it’s a statement piece.
Spatial Layout & Materials
We stripped back the clutter. Embracing Nordic Functionalism, the store environments and shop-in-shop concepts utilized raw, honest materials. We used untreated pine, brushed granite, and cold-rolled steel. The tactile experience was designed to mimic the ruggedness of Jämtland. As a leading retail design agency in Sweden, we know that the texture of a shelf is just as important as the product sitting on it.
Lighting & Atmosphere
Lighting was crucial. We moved away from the harsh, sterile fluorescent lighting typical of outdoor retailers. Instead, we implemented a lighting scheme that mimicked the cool, crisp light of a Swedish winter morning, transitioning into warmer tones to highlight the rich leathers of the boots.
Visual Merchandising & Category Messaging
We disrupted the standard "wall of shoes". Boots were merchandised as artifacts. We integrated storytelling elements directly into the fixtures—highlighting the "Shell" principle of the boots and their reparability. We placed the footwear alongside curated fashion items, visually cueing the customer that these products were versatile.
Sustainability Choices
We walked the walk. The fixtures were modular and designed for longevity, reducing waste during seasonal changeovers. We used recycled materials for signage and reduced plastic usage in the visual merchandising toolkit to zero.
Digital-Touchpoint Integration
We wove digital storytelling into the physical space, featuring content of the boots in "unexpected" scenarios—on city streets, fashion shoots, and catwalks—subtly reinforcing the new brand positioning.
Execution is where the rubber—or in this case, the cellular rubber base—meets the road. Implementing this strategy required a coordinated effort across multiple channels.
The physical rollout involved creating flagship guidelines and shop-in-shop modules that could stand their ground in high-end department stores. One of the biggest hurdles was convincing fashion buyers that a "paratrooper boot" belonged next to luxury sneakers.
However, leveraging our reputation as a top European retail design studio, we crafted presentation kits and pop-up concepts that bridged this divide. We facilitated collaborations with stylists and influencers, ensuring the physical retail execution was supported by a media blitz. We placed the product in top Swedish fashion magazines and even film and TV spots.
It was a risky maneuver. Traditionalists might have scoffed at seeing their beloved hiking brand on a catwalk, but the execution was handled with such respect for the product's functional roots that it didn't alienate the core base—it just invited more people to the party.
The transformation was nothing short of spectacular. By ignoring the standard playbook for outdoor gear, we helped Lundhags transcend their category.
Lundhags successfully shed its "dusty heritage" image, emerging as a sought-after lifestyle icon synonymous with the "Authentic Nordic" way of life. Today, the brand stands as a pillar of sustainability and style, proving that store interior design specialists can do more than just make a space look pretty—we can fundamentally alter the trajectory of a business.
At Blink, we don't just design stores; we design futures. And for Lundhags, the future looks rugged, stylish, and incredibly bright. The repositioning was so successful that it caught the eye of major investors. Lundhags was subsequently acquired by the BRAV group, a testament to the immense value added to the brand equity.
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