R/GA London Re-imagines Global Omnichannel Experience for United Colors of Benetton 

R/GA London has announced that it has partnered with United Colors of Benetton to further drive the company’s ongoing digital transformation through a 360 re-imagining of its global direct-to-consumer experience. Known for their freedom of thought, with a history rooted in breaking barriers, Benetton’s new ‘Blend Different’ e-commerce platform translates the brand’s signature philosophy into a modern omnichannel experience, giving it a clear and distinctive role in contemporary culture. Concepted, created and launched by R/GA in just 14 weeks, the new platform goes live in the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, Japan, Greece, Portugal with further roll outs planned in 2021. 

Benetton appointed R/GA London to help further position the brand as a leader in the casual Italian lifestyle category and to better communicate the premium quality and positive environmental and cultural impact of Benetton’s products. R/GA achieved this by combining best-in-class user experience and editorial content to create an e-commerce platform that deepens engagement with Gen-Z and encourages omnichannel sales to further futureproof the brand. 

“From broadening Benetton’s focus on genderless shopping, to infusing editorial and interactive features that celebrate diversity, experimentation and inclusion, we have created a uniquely distinctive set of signature brand moments that gave colour a true brand expression”. said Ilia Uvarov, executive creative director at R/GA London. “With R/GA’s own purpose being on creating a more human future, we saw a natural connection with Benetton’s values, and we’re delighted to have been able to bring to life our ‘blend different’ vision through this new digital platform”.

“Our ambition behind this new experience was to empower Benetton customers through unexpected yet highly relevant combinations of products, stories and cultural moments.” said Antonio Patrissi, chief digital officer United Colors of Benetton. “This new platform enables our brand to play a role in culture, not just fashion, and having an active position on a range of topics such as sustainability, diversity and inclusion” 

R/GA created a modular, dynamically adaptable architecture that could  easily scale and flex for all user contexts, business requirements and market specifics. Irrespective of a device and browsing setup, it was designed to deliver a consistently cohesive and stand-out experience for all United Colors of Benetton customers globally. And contextual storytelling intelligently brought editorial content and commerce together to inspire and engage Benetton’s wide ranging audiences. 

Signature brand experiences were also brought to life through the lens of colour as interface. This foundational concept was applied to product discovery and exploration and allowed R/GA to create actionable moments of wonder that took users deeper into the world of Benetton’s brand. Additionally, the agency bridged the digital and physical domains by getting products closer to customers and making them more tangible online. Through the use of motion and scale, R/GA has translated the organic nature of fabrics digitally and highlighted the tactile qualities of the products.