A strategic campaign for enduring impact

As a global leader in fibre-cement architectural cladding, James Hardie commissioned an unprecedented research piece into current Australian lifestyle trends and modern home design. Ortolan was engaged to leverage this research in repositioning James Hardie as a desirable architectural brand. In addition, we identified the need to re-frame and elevate the product, and speak from a position of authority that felt relevant to consumer audiences, rather than focusing only a B2B trade professionals as they had in the past.

As their strategic campaign partners, we conducted our own research into consumer attitudes, aspirations and roadblocks to building or renovating their dream home using James Hardie cladding, asking ‘what will inspire and compel audiences to trust James Hardie’, and ‘how can we empower and lend confidence to audiences’ on their own individual journey.

Result was a robust multi-channel communication strategy and aspirational campaign. Build Your Modern Life became the campaign platform that would encapsulate the brand’s purpose, deliver the research in the first annual Modern Homes Forecast across multiple platforms, and become a strong call to action for designers, builders and consumers alike.

We enlisted the help of brand partner and home design expert Neale Whitaker, as well as several collaborators from the building, design and architecture industries, as part of our communication strategy—to firstly launch the campaign, and then to expand and guide audiences through the month-by-month release of each architectural style defined in the Forecast.

In addition to the strategic component, we refined the visual expression of the James Hardie brand to mark their evolution from the world of trade into design—contemporary, refined and refreshed.

Ortolan was responsible for creating campaign assets for digital platforms, print and events including conceptualisation and art direction of collaborator films and photography, refreshed product photography, creative direction of architectural renders, and the design of a self contained micro-site to house the forecast, seven design handbooks and content stories.

A strategic approach was established whereby each of the forecast architectural styles and a corresponding Design Handbook would be released one-by-one over the seven month campaign period. This was key to engaging and re-engaging customers at various points, charting and optimising the user journey across that time. Beginning with omni-channel mapping, Ortolan also conceived the digital targeting journey all the way through to email lead nurture planning.