The Shipyard Reimagines the American Freight Experience in Refresh Campaign

American Freight, the furniture and appliance retailer, announces the launch of its refreshed brand and integrated national ad campaign aimed at tapping into customers’ fundamental needs and celebrating the overall AF experience. 

Debuting on February 7th and tying into smart consumer spending habits associated with tax season, American Freight collaborated with The Shipyard on the brand refresh, including a new visual identity, and an integrated broadcast and digital campaign. 

“We wanted these newer elements, such as our signage and logo, to cut through all the noise in the market and really embody the simplified and value-based shopping experience we’ve delivered to our customers since day one,” says Lauri Joffe Turjeman, chief marketing officer at AF. “We are proud of the work we’ve done with The Shipyard and we’re excited to continue to deliver on that promise to our customers in a fun and engaging way through this brand re-fresh.”  

The refresh includes a new colour palette, interior and exterior store signage, and a new American Freight logo that collapses the brand name down to the letters “AF”. The brand refresh reflects a lighter and brighter shopping experience. 

One company goal is to take the overwhelm out of furniture shopping and simplify the customer journey for shopping AF’s signature Open-Box Appliances, which delivers extremely competitive value in name brand appliances.

“The repositioning and campaign strategy is rooted in AF’s unique retail experience, one that caters to the immediacy of ‘getting’ vs. the drawn out process of ‘shopping’,” says Dave Sonderman, chief creative officer for The Shipyard. 

The new national campaign takes a humorous look at the immediate gratification of purchasing affordable furniture or appliances, and reducing the typical stress of such significant purchases. It’s a significant departure from the typical 'yell and sell' retail commercials American Freight has been known for.

American Freight launched their new store format in a few stores in Denver, CO and Tampa FL, with plans to roll out to additional locations later this year. The stores feature enhanced product storytelling, interactive retail technology, and expert customer service designed to make shopping for home furnishings hassle-free.

The redesigned American Freight experience also features AR technology that lets customers visualise how furniture will look in their own home before purchasing. It also offers enhanced brand and product storytelling for open-box appliances, including a color-coded system that will help customers understand the condition of each item. Additionally, a more spacious layout makes it easier for customers to browse, discover products and navigate the warehouse.