Piercing Pagoda

Campaign

Challenge

Piercing Pagoda has been a longstanding industry competitor in jewelry and piercing, and its brand narrative and content strategy were in need of an update. These outdated components required better communication of the brand’s ethos (fearless self-expression, collective empowerment, and free-spiritedness), the brand’s expertise and broad product selection, and how the brand’s messaging transitions amongst holidays, promotions, and year-round. The challenge was to modernize and differentiate Piercing Pagoda by leveraging its unique digital and physical presence, while maintaining its legacy as professional and accessible.

Solution

YummyColours approached the project by refreshing the brand’s digital and in-store identity through compelling, relevant storytelling. The first step was a robust research phase. In partnering with Radius Global Market Research that helped conduct a targeted survey, YummyColours was able to clearly visualize the Piercing Pagoda customer. The second step was to use the data in developing strategy. YummyColours divided the brand’s consumers into behavioral categories (Trendy Influencer, Jewelry Expressionist, Young Creative, Fashion Neutral, and Practical Purchaser), and with these audience groupings, YummyColours was able to conceptualize a campaign that appealed to each. The third step was developing a new and comprehensive style guide that detailed both copy direction and the new visual concept that was usable during both holiday and non-holiday.

Unmute

Image showing person skating in a skate park in Los Angeles. They are holding their arms out to the sides for balance and in the background there are palm trees.

3 by 3 grid image showing the different talent in their different locations. One is playing the base, one is hula hooping, one is playing basketball.

Image showing person on a soft pink seamless looking in camera. They are wearing a white teeshirt with an open shirt on top. The shirt is soft blue with a pink and blue floral pattern.

Image showing person against a berry colored seamless looking in camera. Their hair is nearly white and they are wearing a white tank-top and black jumpsuit tied around their waist.

Image showing two people standing in front of a warm yellow seamless. They are both laughing. One is wearing a purple teeshirt and the other a blue shirt with white stripes.

3 by 3 grid image showing images from in-studio. Each image shows a different talent on a different colored seamless.

With “Be More You,” YummyColours was able to articulate the nuances of the Piercing Pagoda mission in order to resonate with both existing and potential customer bases. YummyColours recognized the brand’s opportunity for growth in the male purchaser and cross-generational categories, so YummyColours engaged these audiences by pivoting Piercing Pagoda’s look and content direction toward inclusivity, optimism, and the power of individual expression.

Employing a diverse cast of models and talent, “Be More You” strategically gives the brand a real-world identity; it introduces humanness while celebrating the product. From casting ages young and senior, to requesting each talent to bring in their favorite item of clothing, to how Piercing Pagoda gave each talent their choice of jewelry to wear in their portraits, the making of the campaign embodies the brand’s essence. It tells fresh, fun, identity-driven and inclusive visual stories across Piercing Pagoda’s consumer-facing platforms, and facilitates positive engagement from purchasers and audiences at each point of communication.