
Kolbe Appealing to Today’s Visionaries
The window and door category was dominated by three main brands: Marvin, Pella and Andersen. They all make high-quality, mainstream windows. Kolbe was more of a niche, high-quality brand that had strong support among architects.
Our research revealed there was an opportunity to create a super premium window brand. This had become a trend in other building products like kitchen appliances and plumbing fixtures. But there was no equivalent Sub-Zero brand in the window category.
Our Job
Rebrand Kolbe from a trade-focused, architect window to a consumer-friendly, super premium window.
Results
HY has helped Kolbe Windows & Doors secure the position of the industry’s first and only super-premium window, gaining the preference of architects, custom home builders and affluent consumers.

Positioning
To launch the new consumer campaign, the brand needed a rallying cry that would speak to affluent consumers as well as architects, custom builders and Kolbe employees. This message needs to set Kolbe apart and stake a claim. We’re not for everyone.

Magazine
A visionary theme demands an innovative approach. Rather than use traditional single-page ads, Kolbe got twice the impact for the same budget by using half-page double truck ads. These units helped Kolbe stand out in pubs like dwell and Architectural Digest.
Media Partnership
The media department partnered with dwell to develop value-added extensions. The dwell team created content, including Web videos, that highlighted visionary people and their fascinating homes, that featured Kolbe windows and doors.

Website
A new website combined inspiring ideas with practical solutions. The Inspiration Gallery showed incredible spaces paired with details on the actual windows and doors used. So, users could share those details with their architect or builder and bring their vision to life.

Digital Banners
The Kolbe digital buy centered on aspirational sites like ArchitecturalDigest.com. High-impact units with rotating images let uses find their visionary space, from contemporary to more traditional.
Web Video
Kolbe windows are made like no other. There is an attention-to-detail and hands-on craftsmanship that is distinctly uncommon in this era. Web videos let customers go behind the scenes to see how Kolbe windows and doors are crafted.

Collateral
Brochures can still thrive in the Digital Age. The tactile feel of heavy stock paper and the beautiful photography in this Dream Book helped create an upscale impression that an iPad just can’t deliver.