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Chown Hardware has been shaping the Pacific Northwest’s built environment for over 140 years. As the oldest family-owned hardware company in North America, they have long been known for their expertise in architectural hardware, decorative plumbing, and lighting. But legacy alone isn’t enough in a rapidly evolving retail landscape. Chown needed to modernize its branding, marketing, and showroom experience while preserving its deep roots in craftsmanship and quality.
A company like Chown doesn’t just sell products—it sells an experience, one that spans generations of builders, designers, and homeowners. Watson’s challenge was to refine Chown’s brand identity in a way that respected its past while preparing it for the future.
Through deep brand research, Watson helped define the company’s core identity, crafting messaging that spoke to both high-end residential customers and large-scale commercial clients. The work extended into key messaging, personas, brand positioning, and storytelling, ensuring that Chown’s voice resonated across all touchpoints.
One of the most defining elements of the brand evolution was the expansion into new markets, including Seattle and Mercer Island showrooms. This move needed more than just a physical space—it required a marketing strategy that reintroduced Chown to a new audience. Watson developed a Wes Anderson-inspired commercial showcasing the next generation of Chown leadership, turning the showroom launch into a compelling brand moment.
Chown’s identity has always been tied to its founder’s vision, but few knew the full story behind Eleanor Chown, the matriarch who shaped the company into what it is today. Watson helped develop the brand for The Eleanor, a property that honors her legacy. The branding process included naming, logo design, brand guidelines, website development, and collateral, all inspired by Eleanor’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Alongside this, Watson led the Goose Hollow Showcase campaign, a project that blended high-end knolling photography, editorial storytelling, and video production. The campaign told the story of Chown’s curated hardware in the renovation of a historic Portland home, elevating Chown’s expertise in luxury home transformations. The work earned a 2018 Marcom Platinum Award for Photography, further solidifying Chown’s position as a leader in premium hardware.
Retail branding isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about creating a seamless experience across physical and digital spaces. Watson helped Chown rethink its website, showroom experience, and customer engagement strategies to ensure a cohesive brand presence.
The brand refresh also aligned with Chown’s commercial division expansion, helping architects, contractors, and facility managers better navigate Chown’s offerings. Through strategic positioning and storytelling, Chown was able to solidify its reputation in both the high-end residential and commercial markets.
“Working with Watson has given us so many more tools than we thought we had before. They helped us articulate who we are in a way that inspires not just our customers, but our employees. Every time we leave a meeting with Watson, we’re energized about the future of this company.” -Kyle Chown
Build from insight. Strategy isn’t guesswork—it’s groundwork. We listen, research, and distill what matters to guide smarter decisions and set a solid creative direction.
Make it meaningful. From naming to narratives, we create content that speaks with purpose—rooted in truth, tuned to your audience, and built to connect.
Design for behavior. We craft digital experiences that are intuitive, scalable, and aligned with how real people move, click, swipe, and search.
Bring brands to life. Physical spaces, moments, and memories matter. We design experiences that feel human—and stay with you long after the lights go out.
Drive connection. Our marketing approach blends data and instinct—getting the right message to the right people, in ways that actually move them.
Partner on progress. We work alongside your team to solve real problems, shift thinking, and build internal alignment—without the agency ego.
