Ask
Convince a "tool-timid" Gen Z to invest in Crescent Tools as their go-to hand tool brand for a lifetime of projects.
Human Truth
For Gen Z, home isn't about a mortgage or decor; it’s about expression. A personalized space is a way to be seen and understood by others.
Strategy
We repositioned Crescent from an industrial legacy brand to a creative mentor. By centering the "Space Shaper" persona, we equip students with the confidence to build authentically personal homes that serve as invitations to their community.
Role
Strategist
Client
Crescent Tools
Detective Research Work
We moved beyond surface-level data by scouring Mintel reports and conducting in-depth interviews. Through projective techniques and in-depth consumer interviews, we identified the friction between Gen Z and the tool category: while this generation dreams of personalizing their rentals, they are paralyzed by a lack of confidence and the high stakes of a security deposit.
Personalization as Identity
DIY represents a social signal. A "cozy" space is a prerequisite for feeling comfortable enough to host others.
Space Shapers
We identified our core audience as The Space Shapers: 18-26 year olds in pivotal life transitions (moving into dorms or first apartments). They crave individuality to help others understand them. If Crescent wants to win this generation, it must pivot from "machismo" messaging to an approach rooted in the invitation.
Consumer Journey
We architected a six-step journey to transition the "Space Shaper" from inspiration to advocacy.
Execution Roadmap
Our strategic ecosystem bridges the confidence gap through a rental-safe Crescent Starter Kit and influencer-led "Tool School" workshops that provide essential DIY skills. We complement these physical touchpoints with social partnerships that highlight how shaping a space serves as a medium for self-expression.
Being Yourself Invites Others In
This campaign served as the catalyst for my career in human-first strategy and research. By uncovering the insight that "being yourself invites others in," we transformed a legacy hardware brand into a partner for self-expression. Advocating for the consumer story revealed a passion for solving human challenges to drive business results.
View our final pitch presentation for Crescent Tools below.
In collaboration with: