Description:

The Challenge
Prior to the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, the design team were engaged by Subaru of New Zealand to develop a new approach to how dealer partners curated the Subaru sales experience within their showrooms. Key to this challenge was designing a flexible and tactile system where furniture and display items could either be directly specified or used as a guide.

The Opportunity
To better communicate the Subaru brand story, the team worked closely with client and dealer partners to devise a kit-of-parts that tells a story of what Subarus can do and where Subaru drivers can go with their vehicles. It was discovered during the concept phase that dealer partners each have their own ‘style’ of selling, which informed the development of a kit-of-parts to assist sales people in telling better Subaru stories.

Bring the outside in
Concept pillars included the mountain ranges and rock forms of our Aotearoa New Zealand landscape, the evocation of kiwi culture in the rustic feel of huts, baches, and sheds, all alongside the dynamic form of Subaru's evolving design language.

Subaru are best shown inside, but experienced outside, which meant that displays were created which are subtly evocative of what customers can 'do' in their Subaru and where they might go to play, train, relax and adventure away from home.

The Paint Rocks
One of the unique sales tools within the Subaru kit-of-parts are bespoke ‘paint rocks’, which are cast aluminium sculptures painted in official Subaru colour options. Arranged along a bespoke kit-of-parts display shelf, the paint rocks are a radical departure from the traditional tools other car brands use to show customers possible paint options for their vehicles.

The original rock, on which these were based was discovered by a member of the client team. Found alongside a picturesque winding gravel road in the central north island, the rocks evoke the Subaru famous all-wheel drive system which ensures Subaru drivers can safely adventure where others can’t.

Photography by Toaki Okano.