WDA have just completed a major rebrand of the MER car care brand. Intended to put the famous range back on the map, the big changeover happened last month with an online reveal to existing MER customers and the launch of an all new website: www.merproducts.com

As we publish this post, major retail partner Halfords will have completed stock replacement and merchandising, and the all new packs and brand blocked retail display systems should be in your local store with roll out amongst the independent retailers following on throughout Q1.

In addition to the repositioning, new visual brand identity, packaging and POS, WDA have devised a national on and offline integrated advertising campaign, plus a whole range of new campaign collateral and are currently finalising specific advertising executions and producing a range of viral and instructional videos.

Blue sky thinking

It’s often true that the best ideas come to us in the shower. With MER, the idea for the brand positioning was actually drafted on an iphone whilst sat in the grounds of a Derbyshire castle one Sunday morning last summer! Based around the history of the MER brand and its German roots, WDA discovered a heritage which was simply not being used, and a whole back story waiting to be told surrounding the inventor of the original formulations – Franz Billich. This German positioning enabled an alignment with many other prestige German marques and a reputation for automotive excellence through the appliance of technology. To learn exactly how we did it read the case study here.

What’s being said

Since acquiring the MER brand in 2008, we had been searching for an agency who could help us to extract the true potential for the brand that we believed existed. WDA conducted an intensive grass roots review of the brand, identifying a unique position for the brand and an ownable route to mind with the consumer. WDA tuned in to the commercial challenges that we faced and created not only an outstanding brand design and integrated consumer awareness campaign, but immediately understood and supported our internal infrastructure and demands of our retailers. WDA are an exciting agency who challenge the norm and deliver outstanding value for money. Lee and his team are a pleasure to work with and on top of supporting us to launch on time an outstanding brand, WDA have helped us improve our marketing skills and thought processes. I would have no hesitation in recommending WDA, they are an exceptional agency!
Donna Howard Business Manager – Retail, Farécla Products Ltd (MER)

A huge thank you to all the team at WDA for their obscene amount of hard work in making the MER re-launch a reality. From detailed category research to striking design work, everything you have touched has been first rate. The whole team are a pleasure to work with and I have been particularly impressed with how brand focussed everyone has been. WDA are not like other agencies, I can only describe them as an extended part of the marketing team and I would have no reservations whatsoever in wholeheartedly recommending them.
Victoria Dringer Retail Brand Manager, Farécla Products Ltd (MER)

@wdaautomotive Thanks guys for the great research, striking creative and marketing knowledge. We wholeheartedly recommend your dynamic team.
Official MerCarCare 11th Jan via twitter

New packaging looks very smart Already sent off for my free sample, looking forward to trying it out.
Natalie North detailingworld forum 14-01-2013

Loving the New Packaging looks very classy with the Black Bottles with black and white labels. They Do look very striking and have a quality look to them….the German Flag should help distinguish the difference to the old especially moving away from the blue bottles. Amazing how a logo and colour change alters ones perception on an item.
James detailingworld forum 09-01-2013

These look great in the flesh really classy and very slick. The Gold and Black go very well together giving the product much more appeal imo – really great new design yet to try the re formulations but looking forward to it.
‘Whizzer’ detailingworld forum 14-01-2013

45% sales uplift

“WDA are proud to have given MER a story to tell, and we are looking forward to helping deliver that story over the coming launch year by building a strong, consistent campaign centred around the new positioning platform we have created.

With the packaging and POS already fully implemented and on the shelves, we have to say the packs look superb and create the desired level of differentiation and stand-out to hopefully drive sales beyond target. Early signs are good with very positive year on year figures being reported after just a few short weeks on sale – one product up 45% which given the snow has to be encouraging!

I would like to give praise to the WDA team involved with this ongoing project, and also thank MER’s marketing team for being so open to new ideas and having the faith to test  – and subsequently implement – such a radical solution. Watch this space because WDA plan to put the MER rebrand up for an industry award in the near future so that everyone involved can share official recognition for what we have achieved.

Lee Waterhouse, Managing Director WDA

Is your brand really doing the business?
Contact WDA for a free consultation at: lee@wda-automotive.com