Master Stove Maker Since 1854
ESSE Engineering

Ever since they were established in Barnoldswick, Lancashire, in 1854, ESSE has been known as the ‘Master Stove Maker’. With a long-standing heritage, and being a company rich in character it seemed only right, when asked to review the brand, for us to hark back to their original logo. Celebrating its distinctive quirky typography the letterforms were retained but were carefully recrafted to ensure the marque worked effectively across varied applications from online to on stove.

The brand’s straightforward, friendly and distinctly northern tone of voice was echoed through bold and quirky typography to create striking in-store posters communicating core product messages.

The covers of the sales brochures feature photographs of the expertly engineered logos embossed on the fronts of the stove doors, whilst the inside pages that describe the products are interspersed with graphic spreads telling stories from the company’s rich heritage using the same bold typographic style.

Working at large or small scale the bold typographic style and limited colour palette is distinctively ‘Esse’ and creates real stand-out when seen amongst their competitors more usual approach combining product photography and diagrams of technical features.

As a well known part of the local community Esse wanted to open an on-site cafe next to the factory, not just to attract custom from the local area but also pull in those walking along the Leeds and Liverpool canal which runs alongside the site. Asked to name and brand the cafe we followed the same industrial typographical style and straight talking tone of voice used across the rest of the brand and added a little visual wit to create an ‘F’ shaped factory.

Esse hand-build and produce exceptional range cookers and heating stoves. They have since 1854. In a modern, fiercely competitive market, Esse requires a unique brand visual identity and tone of voice. The latest stoves brochure demonstrates just that. Using illustration for the cover, rather than the sector norm product shots, it captures the emotion connected to the end user, and all of the warmth of a real fire.

Shot by Chase films, three short films, affectionately known as 'Kitchen Stove Dramas', were produced to help promote Esse across social media. Exploring everyday stories with a comic twist each film starts with the product placement of ane ESSE cast iron cooker and ends with the protagonists' expression of thought-provoking bewilderment.

The Papers: ESSE Kitchen Stove Dramas

The Passenger: ESSE Kitchen Stove Dramas

The Patient: ESSE Kitchen Stove Drama

For the full story behind the films, head over to The Chase Films

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