AIGA Design Archives

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Design Category
Promotional design and advertising, 2002
Design firm
The Richards Group (Dallas, Texas)
Collection
(2003) AIGA 365: 24

Description

Bernhardt sought to appeal to affluent women who think of themselves as artistic, stylish and unstuffy. To these women, furniture is more than just wood and upholstery. It’s an outlet for individual expression—an art.

Bernhardt needed an advertising campaign to differentiate itself from its competitors and one that showcased its furniture as art. The solution was the marriage of a photographic image of a single piece of furniture and the hand-drawn lettering detailing the thoughts and emotions the furniture evokes. Another touch was to highlight the word “art” in the Bernhardt logo, once again reinforcing the idea of furniture as art.

Credits
Creative directors: Jeff Hopfer, Mike Renfro
Art director: Jeff Hopfer
Designer: Jeff Hopfer
Illustrator: Elvis Swift
Photographer: Alderman Studios
Production director: Peter Stettner
Production coordinator: Celia Bankston
Production artist: Mike Wharton
Writer: Mike Renfro
Typefaces: Bodoni, Bodoni Book Italic, handlettering
Client: Bernhardt Furniture Company