Albin, David, and Caroline – the trio behind our work for Triangeln Get a glimpse behind the scenes
Graphic Designer Caroline Hillgren, Copywriter David Rosvall and Art Director Albin Wendel have worked together on Triangeln's (a shopping centre in central Malmö) communication for the past four years. Their journey started at another agency, but since a year back they have been here at KAN. Here, they continue to develop and strengthen the creative expression of the Triangeln brand.
So how do they transform a brief into a finished campaign? Get acquainted with their work process here.
The assignment has, by and large, remained the same over the years: to help Triangeln be the obvious choice in Malmö, and to stand out in a marketplace which offers several similar options. Together with the client, the team plans the communication activities to make them relevant for each specific season. The work is a combination of regular meetings, strategic insights and traditional agency work. The goal is always to find themes that make the communication relevant and engaging.
“The target group is people who live or work in central Malmö, and the goal is to make Triangeln their first choice and their obvious destination when they have errands to do. Through creative and engaging efforts, we are reminding consumers that Triangeln is the place to visit,” says David.
Although the communication goals have stayed the same, channels and strategies are continuously updated. Using recurring consumer surveys as a base, the work has resulted in social media campaigns, outdoor advertising, always-on campaigns and Meta and Google Display ads.
“Today, the campaigns are the largest activities. We usually have four big campaigns a year: two in spring, one in autumn and one around Christmas time,” says Caroline.
Although the team members have different roles, the work often goes beyond titles. They work closely together all throughout the projects and develop concepts together with the client, and it is all done in an open-minded, cross-discipline way. Essentially, this is three creative people working as a team. The roles are secondary; quality is their main in focus.
As Albin puts it:
“We have a common goal – to do as well as possible. Exactly how is less important.”
From brief to final result
From brief to live campaign is a process comprising two to three months. During this time, the team has regular check-ins with the client. Together, they work out concepts and decide on campaign focus. In the fashion industry, getting access to new collections in advance can be challenging. Therefore, some parts of the campaign work involved must wait until closer to launch. To manage this, they have tried different ways of working. One example is that the actual production is scheduled close to the start of the campaign. The idea and concept development can still be initiated well in advance, which ensures a solid creative direction.
“It always starts with a brief from the client. This includes the key keywords they want to focus on. In the last spring campaign, we had two core themes: fashion and cultivation. We thought a lot about how we could combine the two and decided to connect the spring fashion collections to flowers and cultivation, which are strong symbols of spring and part of Triangeln’s offering. Combining two different elements that may not be connected in the traditional sense makes it more exciting and creates a visually interesting campaign,” says Albin.
Foam parties and hundreds of tulips
A common theme in the Triangeln campaigns is that they all are permeated by passion and curiosity – the courage to push boundaries, experiment and go beyond the expected. Over the years, the campaigns have included everything from foam parties and citrus fruits to hundreds of tulips, animals (both live and stuffed) and an 18-kilogram princess cake.
“We always strive to find a detail that surprises and catches your eye, something with an edge – but without ever losing that affable, approachable and happy feeling,” says David.
However, the team wants to point out that none of this would be possible if they didn’t have such a brave client. They especially want to highlight Triangeln’s Maria Rengfjord, who always wants to move the brand forward and try new things.
Campaign shoot
Once the preparatory work is complete and the concept created, the planning for the campaign shoot begins. A campaign shoot usually comprises two full days and results in a variety of assets – both still and moving images, which can be seen around Malmö, inside Triangeln and on social media.
To ensure the visuals have the right tonality and feel, the team compiles a detailed wish list for the photographer, stylist, and makeup artist. Then it is up to the photographer and stylist to choose the right props and details to give the campaign the final touch and expression.
“We build the set on the day of the shoot and feel our way forward. It’s fun! Everyone gets to step in and help out. We never know in advance exactly what the end result will be. But with a clear vision and a collaborative atmosphere, it will always work out fine,” says Caroline.
Although their work roles are cross-disciplinary, it is Albin who, together with the photographer, takes the lead at the campaign shoot. The client is always present and can immediately get an idea of the end result on the screens.
Extending campaign life
After finalising a campaign shoot, the work around it begins. Following up is an important part of the process. The assignment is also about creating campaign activations that can be experienced in the shopping centre and engage visitors.
“An example is one of last year’s campaigns, “Min. Din. Vår.” (Translation note: “Mine. Yours. Ours/Spring” – the last word has a double meaning in Swedish. Clever!), where we wanted to highlight Triangeln’s wide range of second-hand options. We chose to launch in February, a period where many people may have a limited amount of money to spend, while the media noise is a bit quieter. The campaign included swap days inside Triangeln, where visitors could bring their old clothes and swap into something new. The event was a real success, resulting in an increase in visitors to the shopping centre,” says David.
A close-knit team
After their years together, Albin, Caroline and David form a close-knit team and know what to expect from each other.
“We outperform ourselves all the time. The campaigns get better and better every time,” says Caroline.
“To create good things, it is key to always have the courage to challenge yourself – and the client,” adds David.
Final question: what is the most fun thing about working with Triangeln?
“Our collaboration. What makes the work so good is that we have fun, there is an open-minded atmosphere where we test our ideas, experiment, and get to the bottom of them,” says Albin.
David agrees. “We have free rein and a great deal of trust from the client. They let us try and test things. It’s easy to focus on the fact that we’re a large agency with many different skills. But the important thing here is the relationships, and that we dare to trust each other.”
