You got to know when to be a renegade
Closer than downtown for most Haligonians, just across the MacDonald Bridge is a dynamic Dartmouth record store with fantastic selection of pre-loved music, movies, and vinyl.
You want to be entertained for free? All ages shows happen regularly on a Saturday evenings. They also sell guitar strings, picks, straps, and sticks on top of a huge selection of local music and merch. Renegade Records has been helping local artists from Nova Scotia, sell and distribute their music for many years. We can help you make your music more accessible to our local community.
Challenge
Named a ‘mecca store’ by one of its customers, Dartmouth’s oldest record store reached a 20-year milestone. Owned by local entrepreneur Candace Redden, CD Heaven had been a mainstay in the area. After 20 years in business, it was time for a major rebranding and rebirth. The name and brand of ‘CD Heaven’ had become dated, putting focus on only one type of product. A new name was selected, Renegade Records, a strong statement that not only described the attitude but the resilience and longevity of the store. A complete rebrand visually and an identity needed to be established to the public. Not an easy task as the store itself had a strong following as it was.
Solution
A new brand was created, leaving behind the gentler, family friendly CD and wings to a bold wordmark. Along with the typography a ‘record’ element was implemented. A lined illustration that both suggested a vinyl disk and as a target. A major overhaul of the store location was the first to be tackled. The store was renovated with a darker grey pallet, carpets were replaced, and all signage was simplified and made neutral. A façade was designed that took over the entire surface utilizing the ‘record’ element which greatly increased the stores street presence. Old vinyl signage was removed and replaced with the wordmark.
Another bold move was to move away from a static website and redirect all traffic to social media platforms. Namely Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Former URLs were redirected to Facebook as this was their most prolific platform. A dynamic social media strategy was rolled out, fresh with chunky loud visuals and aggressive yet playful tones. A new focus on giveaways and in store offerings were brought the forefront. Social media saw a triple subscription growth in the first 6 months alone.
