Brand luxe

PPR (formerly Pinault-Printemps-Redoute), home to labels such as Gucci and Puma, is changing its name to Kering. The change apparently reflects its transformation from a French conglomerate to a global luxury, sports and lifestyle group. The new corporate name is accompanied by a stylized owl logo and a tagline, “Empowering Imagination.” The accompanying release and Facebook post suggest the pronunciation, “caring,” is meant to signify the group’s approach of cultivating its brands. It also apparently draws on the company’s—and family roots in France’s Brittany region. “Ker” signifies home in Breton. The “ing” is meant to invoke movement or action as with “doing” and “going” The creation of the company’s new name was a joint effort between an outside agency and PPR’s internal communications team. Identity was release along with a video. Verdict is out on how this will fly within the world of luxury. Seems to us that it looks and sounds like a product line or brand vs. a corporation. As it is intending for branding under only the corporate umbrella, we don’t anticipate much of a stir. Bonne chance…