Red Stag is an independent, privately-owned timber group, based in Rotorua. Established in 2003, they operate the Waipa Mill, the largest mill in New Zealand – supplying building merchants (like Placemakers and ITM) and of course their builders. With over 300 staff, their products are also sold internationally including Australia, the Pacific, Asia, Europe and North America.

The brand has established equity and awareness amongst the target audience, considered to be a leading brand in its sector. The Red Stag brand has a solid, natural, down-to-earth, get it done, everyday Kiwi quality to it. With a move into advanced engineering wood products, Red Stag was looking to develop its identity to speak to the qualities of these products as well as their traditional timber products.

The brief was to evolve the brand to have a more premium feel and positioning, not only to address the advanced technology aspect of future products but also to appeal to the architectural, interior design, engineering and developer sectors. The brand architecture also needed a new strategy, arriving at a masterbrand with four key business lines.

Taking a logical evolutionary step and we retained the equity of the original brand but gave it a cleaner, premium feel, creating a brand system with a revitalised sense of energy. A spirited transformation of the symbol that works dynamically adjacent to a new and bold custom wordmark.

Design & Direction Christopher Gough Palmer
Account Director Claire Evans
Strategy Steven Giannoulis
Agency Insight Creative