Stephen Gamble
Preserving a heritage flooring brand’s legacy—and forging its DTC future.
CHALLENGE
After decades honing his craft, Master Finisher Stephen Gamble decided it was time to archive his life’s work and share it with generations to come. Starting with his children. The family sought to create a collection of prefinished hardwood flooring that cataloged Stephen’s legacy and brought his time-honored craftsmanship to a wider swath of homeowners and designers. They called on Shore—Creative and me to help conceptualize and debut this new era of Stephen Gamble.
APPROACH
While my role on paper involved naming and writing product descriptions for The Archive Collection, I actually worked to articulate a brand narrative over 40 years in the making.
To understand Stephen’s humble beginnings, hard-earned success, and every chapter in between, we went straight to the source. Stephen graciously welcomed us into his world with tales of the trade, an accelerated wood finishing education, and personality to spare. Shore—Creative and I agreed this collection needed to feel as character-rich as the Master Finisher himself.
We crafted a naming & product description strategy that captured the essence of each hardwood finish, reflected the brand’s history, and let our audience easily envision Stephen Gamble’s artistry in their own space.
SPOTLIGHT: ARCHIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS
Product descriptions offer a window into the maiden flooring collection. Each hand-selected finish is alive with distinct character while remaining a part of the larger Stephen Gamble story. To honor this depth, we took a thoughtful approach to our product description anatomy. We built in tonal notes, key details, and immersive vignettes while designating the more technical information to the complete specs section.
Tonal pairings like “warm & traditional” help consumers locate their ideal finish by hue and mood. We developed this aesthetic wayfinding cue to make SG’s versatile luxury even more accessible.
For the product description vignettes, I used rhythmic hooks and sensory language to draw readers into the world we were building.
“Untold hours honing one’s craft. The tick of an inherited timepiece. Moments with those who make our aspirations possible. Legacy is a time capsule, and the beating heart of the Stephen Gamble brand.”
An excerpt from the “Legacy” product description. This finish serves as the cornerstone of The Archive Collection and represents Stephen Gamble’s distinguished career and enduring influence.
