Strategic Brand Extension & Integrated Marketing Plan
Aritzia "Arize" Home Collection
Team Members: Libby Brouillette, Rachel Stein, Bailey Kumar, Taylor Lundquist
Role: Brand Audit, Marketing Communications Strategy, Pricing Analysis, Presentation Design, Product Development, and Strategy
Date Completed: Fall 2024
Project
Overview
As part of a Retail Brand Management course, I collaborated with a team to develop Arize, a proposed luxury home collection for Aritzia. The project aimed to strategically extend Aritzia’s “Everyday Luxury” positioning into the home goods market while maintaining the brand’s sophisticated aesthetic and loyal customer base.
Our comprehensive approach included a full brand audit, competitive market analysis, and the creation of an integrated marketing communications plan to support the launch of Arize. We designed a pricing strategy that aligned with Aritzia’s premium positioning, developed a multi-channel campaign to build awareness and engagement, and planned experiential activations to enhance brand resonance.
The result was a cohesive brand extension concept that reinforced Aritzia’s identity while unlocking new growth opportunities in the luxury home category.
Project
Proposal
Our team developed Arize, a luxury bedding and home collection as a strategic brand extension for Aritzia. Building on the brand’s iconic neutral color palettes, premium fabrics, and sleek aesthetic, Arize brings Aritzia’s “Everyday Luxury” ethos into the home goods market with a curated line of bedding, linens, pillows, and throws.
This proposal capitalized on Aritzia’s strong brand loyalty, sophisticated aesthetic, and robust retail infrastructure to position Arize as a natural evolution of the brand. With in-store touchpoints allowing customers to experience the materials firsthand and an elevated design language that aligns with Aritzia’s apparel, Arize appeals to style-conscious, upper-middle-class women ages 20–40. Ultimately, Arize reinforces Aritzia’s position as a leader in lifestyle luxury, offering customers the same timeless design and premium quality they associate with Aritzia apparel, now reimagined for their homes.
The project included a comprehensive brand audit, competitor and market analysis, pricing strategy development, and a multi-channel marketing communications plan. Key initiatives featured influencer partnerships, experiential activations like an Arize Slumber Party, and a robust digital campaign designed to build anticipation and drive engagement.
Key
Contributions
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Led a comprehensive brand audit and competitive analysis to identify market opportunities and position Arize strategically within the luxury home goods category.
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Developed the brand pyramid, identity elements, and positioning map, ensuring alignment with Aritzia’s core values and aesthetic.
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Took a leadership role in product development and creative direction, designing the Arize collection logo and conceptualizing product offerings.
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Crafted and pitched multi-channel marketing strategies, including influencer partnerships, experiential activations, and digital campaigns to build awareness and drive engagement.
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Designed premium pricing models that balanced Aritzia’s aspirational positioning with market competitiveness.
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Created visual and written content for the pitch deck and presentation, ensuring a cohesive and compelling narrative.
Brand Audit
Insights
Target Audience: Women ages 20–40, upper-middle-class, seeking modern, elevated home essentials that reflect personal style and comfort.
Positioning Statement:
“For women looking for everyday luxury bedding, Arize delivers high-quality pieces to elevate their bedroom through comfortable fabrics, neutral colors, and impeccable craftsmanship.”
Key Competitors: Anthropologie, Zara Home, Pottery Barn, UGG
Brand Resonance: Strong alignment with Aritzia’s existing identity, quality, sustainability, and minimalist sophistication.
Brand Extension
Details
Brand Extension Name: ARIZE
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A seamless evolution of Aritzia’s “everyday luxury” ethos, ARIZE is a home collection crafted with the same attention to detail, elevated materials, and minimalist sophistication as its apparel line.
Curated Product Assortment: 95 Total SKUs
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Butter Sheet Sets using Aritzia’s iconic sweat-wicking fabric for a breathable, luxurious sleep experience
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Super Puff Comforters & Throw Pillows inspired by the brand’s signature outerwear silhouette
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Cozy Luxe Throw Blanket made from a cashmere-wool blend, designed with reversible tones and minimalist fringe-free finish
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Poodle Plush collectible toy modeled after Aritzia’s in-store poodle statues, bridging fashion and home decor with brand heritage
Refined Color Palette:
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Offered in five signature tones: Rich Mocha, Heather Chrome, Snow, Cornflower Blue, and Dark Olive.
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Aligned with Aritzia’s neutral aesthetic and seasonal styling
Brand Positioning Map
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Aritzia’s Position: Centrally placed, bridging apparel-perceived brands (like Anthropologie and Nordstrom) and home goods-perceived brands (like West Elm and Pottery Barn), highlighting its potential to expand into the home category.
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Lower Price/Apparel Focused: Brands like H&M, Zara, and Nordstrom offer affordable options but lack Aritzia’s elevated aesthetic and luxury positioning.
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Higher Price/Home Goods Focused: West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Williams & Sonoma dominate the high-end home market with strong home-centric brand equity.
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Direct Lifestyle Competitors: Anthropologie, UGG, and Quince occupy a similar price and style space, blending apparel heritage with home offerings.
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Key Insight: Aritzia is uniquely positioned to leverage its loyal customer base and premium branding to compete with higher-end home retailers while differentiating from fast-fashion and mass-market players.
Pricing Strategy
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Butter Sheet Set: $100 - $140
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Super Puff Comforter: $200 - $280
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Super Puff Throw Pillow: $70
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The Cozy Luxe Throw Blanket: $120
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Poodle Plush: $40
PLAN
C
Marketing
ommunications
To support the launch of Arize, we developed a comprehensive, multi-channel marketing strategy designed to generate buzz, build brand awareness, and drive consumer engagement. The plan seamlessly integrated influencer partnerships, experiential activations, and digital campaigns to position Arize as a must-have luxury home collection.
Key initiatives included a 12-post influencer content strategy with lifestyle creator Allison Kuch, an exclusive Arize Slumber Party event for high-impact social coverage, and digital touchpoints such as a website takeover, interactive quizzes, and Instagram campaigns. Strategic giveaways like the Cozy Cabin Stay and limited-edition Poodle Plush further amplified consumer interest and brand resonance. This approach highlighted Arize as a natural extension of Aritzia’s aesthetic and storytelling, while driving excitement and anticipation across all customer touchpoints.
Influencer Partnerships
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Key Partner: Allison Kuch (3.2M TikTok, 809K Instagram)
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Content Strategy: 12 custom posts showcasing Arize across TikTok and Instagram. Highlights included:
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Unboxing Series: Lifestyle content revealing bedding selections and styling tips.
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Seasonal Moments: “Sunday Reset” routines, Thanksgiving prep, holiday decorating, and Christmas morning vignettes.
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Family Integration: Posts featuring her daughter Scottie and husband, creating aspirational, relatable content.
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Cross-Platform Reach: A mix of TikTok videos for storytelling and Instagram carousels for high-quality visuals.
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Digital Strategy
Website Takeover
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Full-width banner with tagline: “Everyday Luxury, Now For Your Home.”
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Lifestyle imagery and product highlights to reflect Aritzia’s elevated aesthetic.
Interactive Landing Page
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Build Your Perfect Space quiz for personalized recommendations.
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Behind-the-scenes brand stories and detailed product spotlights.
Instagram Content Campaign
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Teasers: Carousel posts featuring abstract product close-ups.
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Reels:
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A Day in the Life showcasing daily use of Arize.
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From Wardrobe to Home, transition from fashion to home products.
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Stories: Interactive polls, countdowns, and sneak peeks to build anticipation.
Experimental Activation
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Event: Arize Slumber Party
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Concept: Invitation-only influencer pop-up blending luxury and fun.
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Features:
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Red carpet arrivals and branded backdrops for shareable moments.
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Custom Arize pajamas gifted to attendees.
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Interactive photo stations styled with Arize bedding and home products.
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Premium catering and ambient styling to reflect Aritzia’s “Everyday Luxury” ethos.
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Attendees: High-profile influencers like Nara Smith, Kit Keenan, and Brooke Puth to maximize exposure and align with Aritzia’s audience.
Giveaways
Cozy Cabin Stay Giveaway:
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Grand prize: A 2-night luxury stay in Lake Tahoe featuring Arize bedding, $2,500 spending credit, and a take-home bedding set.
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Duration: Announced Nov 17, ran for 2 weeks, winner revealed Dec 1.
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Goal: Drive sign-ups and create buzz leading to the holiday season.
Poodle Plush Giveaway:
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Limited-edition plush toy inspired by Aritzia’s iconic in-store poodle statues.
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5 winners announced Dec 22, with additional plushes available for purchase post-launch.
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Goal: Build excitement and emotional connection to Arize.
Outcomes &
Impact
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Positioned Aritzia for success in the home goods market by leveraging its strong brand equity and loyal customer base.
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Delivered a cohesive brand extension strategy that aligned with Aritzia’s aesthetic of minimalism, quality, and “Everyday Luxury.”
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Designed an engaging, multi-channel marketing campaign that blended influencer partnerships, experiential events, and digital innovation to drive anticipation and consumer connection.
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Strengthened cross-functional skills in brand development, marketing communications, and creative strategy execution.
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Highlighted the importance of storytelling and aspirational branding in successfully entering new product categories.
Top Performing
Group
Peer Recognition & Top Ranking
As part of the final project evaluation, each of the 14 groups was given a hypothetical $1,000 to "invest" in any of the 7 groups presenting each day, based on which brand launch they believed had the most potential for real-world success. At the end of the two-day presentations, our professor tallied the total "investments" to determine which projects stood out the most across creativity, strategy, and feasibility.
Our group placed first overall, accumulating the highest investment total by a significant margin. This recognition reflected not only the strength of our concept and execution but also the confidence our peers had in our brand’s potential impact and market fit.
This project gave me the opportunity to apply brand theory to a real-world extension challenge, translating Aritzia’s core values into a new product category. It strengthened my ability to balance creative vision with strategic thinking, from crafting compelling brand narratives to designing multi-channel marketing campaigns. I also gained valuable experience in cross-functional collaboration, consumer targeting, and retail marketing, skills that will carry forward into future roles in brand development and strategy.