Chico's Gardenwear logo in white text on a black background

Genus Gardenwear

Brand development for a dynamic, specialist clothing company.

THE CLIENT

Genus Gardenwear is the world’s only brand of high-performance, technical clothing specially designed by gardeners for gardeners.

Founded in 2013 and based in the Cotswold countryside in a 250-year-old cottage with an amazing garden, they are a team of passionate gardeners and clothing engineers that totally understand exactly what gardeners need and want.

Application

Brand development
Printed brochures
Packaging
Direct Marketing
E-newsletters
Film
Social media
Website

Stand out

Photography

Further links

Website

A man gardening inside a greenhouse, kneeling with one knee on the ground and holding a wooden bowl, tending to a tomato plant. Text overlay promoting genuss gardenwear, highlighting waterproof gardening trousers with stab-proof pockets and knee pads, along with a website URL, phone number, and a Royal Horticultural Society endorsement.

THE CHALLENGE

Genus has a unique product offering, built on a strong foundation of considered performance clothing design and quality materials. Competitors clothing used for gardening is simply inferior. Genus products are made to last and appeal to the serious gardener, one that is willing to invest in craft and comfort. As a creative partner we were challenged to push the Genus brand appeal to a wider audience whilst reinforcing brand values; communications needed to be more inviting and warmer, portraying a sense of quality and community.

Genus Animated Logo
A flyer on a wooden surface advertising a 20% discount with a photo of a person in a garden during autumn, displaying colorful fall foliage. The flyer includes seasonal information, poem, and signatures.

THE SOLUTION

The biggest development for the brand was the introduction of lifestyle photography. Previous images had felt stale and too technical. We invested time to art-directing seasonal photoshoots, selecting diverse models that represented a real, relatable gardener. The brand imagery now reflects a more documentary style.

With a strong image library in place, we were able to develop the brand accordingly. An impactful, yet elegrant headline font was developed to mimic the tools used in the garden, along with a handwritten font reflecting a personal touch. Messaging and the overall tone of communications is more bold, confident, yet personable.

Black gardening socks with the brand name 'Genu' knitted on the bottom, attached to packaging featuring a photo of two people gardening outdoors.
A woman gardening outdoors, wearing a waterproof navy blue gardening trousers with stab-proof pockets, surrounded by green plants.
Advertisement for Genus Gardenwear featuring waterproof gardening trousers for men and women, with a promotion for 10% off using code TEG10, showing a person outdoors wearing green gardening trousers and a dark blue jacket, with soil and greenery in the background.
A person holding gardening secateurs with a background of blooming flowers, advertising gardening trousers for men and women with stab-proof pockets, and a 10% discount code.
Sales brochure
Press advertising
Social media graphics
Art direction
Image library

WHAT WE DELIVERED

The brand is now consistently applied and reflects the values and aspirations of this growing specialist business. Communications include:

Image artworking
Packaging
Exhibition displays
Leaflets

RESULTS

Genus has a growing community and loyal customer base. Customers engage more and provide vital feedback and celebrity gardeners are willing to appraise and endorse products. The product range has grown considerably in the time we’ve been working with them, as has sales.

Close-up of a brown garden tool bag with a tag describing a tool holster endorsed by IRHS. The tag explains the holster is made for carrying gardening tools and accessories, designed for comfort and ease of use. Part of another product tag and a small orange detail are also visible.
Exhibit display for Gardening ProPant heavy duty gardening trousers, featuring a mannequin with pro pant trousers creatively shaped to resemble pants in mid-air, with inflatables forming the pants. Racks of pants are on either side, with a background banner promoting the product features.
Brochure for Genus Gardenwear featuring a man and woman gardening with a small dog on a wooden surface.
Black and white cartoon illustration of a man pushing a cart with a large stack of money and a briefcase, standing beside a man with a dollar sign, representing wealth or financial success.

Genus has been working together with Lost & Found for several years now and the relationship goes from strength to strength. L&F really understand our brand which allows them to be fully proactive in creating design approaches. Andy and his team continue to work across a wide range of applications from website, through customer communications, to advertising and direct marketing. We really appreciate the high level of creativity, attention to detail and the quick response that L&F provide.

Sue O’Neil
Founder & CEO, Genus Gardenwear

Image credits

Chris Boulton
Nik Kane