​​​​The new visual brand language for the Ariens brand was designed with the intent of creating a premium, upmarket product that would cater to the American homeowner. Creating a brand language that would be recognizable, timeless, and approachable was crucial to the evolution of the Ariens brand.

DIFFERENTIATING OUR BRANDS

The scope of the VBL started extremely broad and encapsulated many different looks. In the end, we created a look that stands out aesthetically and really highlights the engineering and componentry that our product is comprised of. The diversification of the Ariens brand from Gravely is something that is being pushed to the forefront in our overarching product portfolio. We wanted to offer a completely different looking Ariens ZTR that could be sold next to a Gravely ZTR with the same performance and underlying frame/features. The differentiation of Gravely and Ariens was key to this re-energizing of the Ariens brand.

THE INSPIRATION

The inspiration for Ariens’ new look is two-fold. First, we looked towards what our end-users were purchasing for vehicles. For the new Ariens ZTR line, we wanted to create a product that wouldn’t feel out of place in the home owner’s garage, and one that would be just as visually intriguing as their latest truck purchase. We took inspiration and cues from vehicles that were distinctly American. Ones that were simple, yet had enough visual intrigue to appear modern and relevant. The new surfacing is coined “Rectilinear Tension” and is comprised of strong shapes and silhouette delineation, with full and robust surface transitions. We aimed for continuous transitions where metal parts interacted with plastic parts. Surfacing on the plastic is more rigid and structural where is intersects or encompasses with metal components. This visually unifies the two elements, and creates a more holistic look for the overall vehicle. As the fenders transition to the front we start to incorporate a softer yet defined surface transition for a more refined looking product.

The second cornerstone of the new Ariens VBL is showcasing underlying metal brackets and structural pieces as parts of the overall aesthetic. All of these parts are integral to the machines overall strength and construction. From mounting brackets to reinforced rear wrap, we pushed the boundaries of our in-house metal fabrication techniques for the new Ariens line-up. This growth in creating progressively more complex metal parts will help push the Ariens brand into creating very refined products. Finally, the introduction of multiple textures on our plastic parts considers the heaviest wear points and increases the protection and durability with added texture depth.

TO SUM IT UP…

Overall, we acted on feedback received from the dealer channel as well as consumers, which called for less plastic, more tire reveal, easier entry into the seat, and a refined product sure to make a splash. We hope you’re as excited about the new Ariens products as we are.