We uncovered Andertons’ purpose, and now they’re the No.1 music retailer in the world.

ClientAndertons Music co.
scopeVisual Identity \ UX/UI Design \ eCommerce

30%

Growth in website traffic

½M

Youtube subscribers

Unleashing a Rockstar

Starting out with a single guitar store, Andertons are now a global music brand and the world’s No.1 musical instrument retailer. By uncovering their brand purpose, Pull helped transform Andertons’ business. They posted their best-ever financial results and to top it all, in 2018 they were crowned best music retailer in the world!

Pull was asked by Andertons to look at their brand identity. We found a rock star waiting to be unleashed!

The Challenge

Andertons were a dream challenge for Pull. Our research quickly showed that we were dealing with a high potential, much-loved brand driven more by passion to make music than make money. However, their purpose and their passion were hidden behind a dated image and a missed opportunity to tell people why they did what they did.

Start with the Why? “People buy why you do what you do, not what you do”

Simon Sinek – Start with Why?

Founder Harry Anderton, holding guitar — Harry Anderton, 1964

Purpose & Provenance

Born in the 1960’s – heady times for rock music in England, Andertons is steeped in heritage. Passion for music and a wonderful provenance of selling musical instruments creates their great back-story. And the more we talked to Andertons customers and staff the more we realised: they all shared a passion for making music. Andertons customers repeatedly said the same thing.

So we helped Andertons bring their provenance to the forefront and define their purpose for the first time. It wasn’t ‘To be the UK’s no.1 musician’s retailer’. It wasn’t even about making music, it was ‘Making Musicians’.

“Their staff all play. The first thing they talked about was helping me play. The last thing they did was sell me a new instrument”

Staff member with customer holding guitar

Identity

Not only did the ‘Number 1 musician’s superstore’ not cut it. But it was not the Andertons their fans saw. Having unearthed Andertons’ provenance and articulated their purpose, Pull leveraged the iconic history of the world Andertons were immersed in. The world of Gibson, Fender and Marshall amps, to craft a new logotype and identity that faithfully reflected Andertons’ storied provenance and true personality.

The new identity was extended throughout the Andertons online and offline estate from staff uniforms and a complete store re-fit, to a new ecommerce site, social media sites and merchandise including T-shirts (proudly worn on Andertons TV and by artists like Eric Gales, Paul Gilbert and Steve Vai).

Awards

As well as a record-year for Andertons, the brand transformation project generated 3 prestigious international awards from Transform magazine. Gold for Best implementation of a Brand Development Project. Silver for Best Brand Development Project to Influence Changed Mission. Silver for Best Visual Identity From The Retail Sector.

And in July 2018, Andertons scooped 2 more international awards. NAMM Dealer of the Year (never previously awarded outside the US) and NAMM Best Online Engagement.

“Andertons Music Co.’s work with the Pull Agency was one of the judges’ darlings for its ability to take a community and develop a brand for that audience.”

Transform Magazine, Transform Awards Europe 2018

What they said

“There are some visions that just can’t be executed without a third party coming in to shakeup the culture, and Pull have achieved that to a tee. The work you’re doing for Andertons will have, and has had an incredible, lasting impact.

It’s been a huge pleasure working with The Pull Agency, in particular Darren Cornwall and Chris Bullick, who I would highly recommend to anyone looking to do any branding or design work. Thank you both for the incredible journey you’ve taken us on.”

Andertons

The Future

The Pull Agency continues to work on brand development with Andertons. We are confident that transformation delivered through and beyond 2019 are likely to eclipse the transformation effected in 2018.