Case Study
Ember & Stone
Trail-sourced fragrances and heirloom craft. A wilderness wellness brand, born.
Your home deserves to breathe with the spirit of wild places. Wilderness isn't just a destination — it's a state of being, a restoration of soul that lives in every breath of mountain air.
The Challenge
Building a wilderness brand from the ground up
The premium candle market is a $12B industry dominated by generic nature themes and urban aesthetics. No brand authentically connects fragrances to verifiable geographic origins. Ember & Stone entered this whitespace with a bold vision: trail-sourced scents from specific American landscapes, delivered in heirloom-quality refillable stoneware vessels. The challenge was building an entire brand identity from scratch — strategy, voice, visual system — that could compete with established players while owning the unoccupied territory of geographic authenticity.
The Strategic Foundation
Crafting authenticity you can verify
Brand Archetype
The Explorer
with secondary The Creator
Ember & Stone embodies the Explorer's spirit of uncovering new experiences — transforming homes into portals for sensory wilderness journeys. The Creator secondary drives the artisanal craft of heirloom vessels and precision scent formulations.
Brand Purpose
We believe in the restorative power of authentic wilderness connection and work to cultivate sacred home sanctuaries through verifiable trail-inspired fragrances that bridge the distance between urban life and America's most cherished natural landscapes.
Brand Vision
By 2036, Ember & Stone will redefine American home wellness as the nation's preeminent bridge between urban sanctuaries and wild landscapes, establishing verifiable geographic authenticity as the gold standard in premium home fragrance.
Brand Positioning
For design-conscious urbanites craving wilderness, we deliver verifiable trail-sourced sanctuaries through refillable craft.
The Voice
Where wilderness meets everyday wonder.
Trail guide who left corporate Denver for Glacier, now crafts artisanal vessels. Speaks with weathered hands and elevation-tested conviction about authentic wilderness.
Brand Manifesto
Your home deserves to breathe with the spirit of wild places. Every day, millions of us navigate concrete corridors and digital demands, feeling the distance grow between who we are and where we belong.
But wilderness isn't just a destination — it's a state of being, a restoration of soul that lives in every breath of mountain air, every whisper of ancient forest, every sunrise over endless desert.
At Ember & Stone, we believe your sanctuary should carry this sacred connection. Our trail-sourced fragrances aren't mere scents; they're portals to transformation, bridges between the life you live and the wild that calls you home.
Each fragrance captures verifiable moments from America's most cherished landscapes — the exact cedar that sways in Rocky Mountain wind, the precise sage that perfumes Southwest twilight.
When you choose heirloom-quality vessels designed for a lifetime of refills, you're declaring that authenticity matters, that connection transcends convenience.
Bring the trail home. Let wilderness reshape your everyday into something extraordinary.
Message Pillars
Voice Personality
Formality
Enthusiasm
Boldness
Innovation
Playfulness
Power Language
Trust
verifiable / authentic / genuine / trail-sourced / documented / transparent / proven
Action
discover / explore / transform / bridge / craft / restore / cultivate
Emotion
sacred / wilderness / sanctuary / connection / wonder / restoration / belonging
Innovation
precision / artisanal / heirloom / refillable / geographic / curated / portal
“Discover your trail. Transform your space into the sanctuary you've been seeking.”
Color System
A 9-color system built from scratch
Color System
Split-complementaryForest Explorer
Typography
Classic Pairing
Typography — Classic Pairing
Lora — Headings
Bring the trail home, carry wilderness forward.
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh
Regular — Bring the trail home, carry wilderness forward.
SemiBold — Bring the trail home, carry wilderness forward.
Bold — Bring the trail home, carry wilderness forward.
Nunito — Body
Your home deserves to breathe with the spirit of wild places. Every day, millions of us navigate concrete corridors and digital demands, feeling the distance grow between who we are and where we belong.
Nunito · Weights 200–900
Visual Identity System
A complete visual language
Logo System
Brand Color
Reverse
Monochrome
Brand Patterns
3×3 Tile PreviewStone Flow
Organic flowing forms evoking river-smoothed stones and natural water movement
3×3 Tile PreviewSummit Gradient
Geometric pattern inspired by the layered horizons seen from mountain summits
Custom Iconography
Style: Flat
Discovery
Connection
Resilience
Ascension
Flow
Clarity
Brand in Action
The brand applied across touchpoints
Brand Values
The principles that guide every interaction
Authenticity
We commit to genuine, verifiable connections between our products and the American landscapes they represent — rejecting generic nature themes.
- •Verify and document the geographic origins of every scent ingredient
- •Refuse to create artificial scents lacking genuine geographic connection
- •Maintain honest communication about sourcing, processes, and limitations
Discovery
We embrace the Explorer's spirit by transforming homes into portals for sensory exploration through America's diverse landscapes.
- •Curate collections introducing customers to lesser-known trails
- •Create seasonal releases encouraging exploration of different regions
- •Design product experiences that reveal layers of complexity
Sustainability
We demonstrate environmental stewardship through heirloom-quality refillable vessels and responsible sourcing that preserves the landscapes we celebrate.
- •Design refillable vessels from reclaimed stoneware built to last generations
- •Establish transparent supply chains protecting source ecosystems
- •Partner with conservation organizations supporting the trails that inspire us
Connection
We create bridges between urban sanctuaries and wild landscapes, fostering meaningful relationships that transcend physical distance from wilderness.
- •Design sensory experiences triggering genuine landscape memories
- •Build community among customers sharing wilderness appreciation values
- •Develop partnerships with parks and conservation groups
Quality
We pursue excellence in every element — from the precision of scent formulations to the durability of stoneware vessels worthy of the landscapes they represent.
- •Handcraft each product with meticulous attention to scent accuracy
- •Source premium ingredients truly representing geographic origins
- •Create vessels with heirloom-quality durability that improve with age
Impact Analysis
AI Brand Analysis Scores
Scores generated by our AI analysis engine measuring brand coherence, audience alignment, and strategic effectiveness.
Emotional Connection
AI-analyzed resonance with the Wanderlust Aesthetes audience
Brand Coherence
Perfect alignment across purpose, values, positioning, and visual identity
Essence Alignment
How well "Bring the trail home" resonates across all brand elements
Success Probability
AI-projected likelihood of achieving market objectives within 12 months
Full Brand Guidelines
Explore the Complete Brand Book
Dive deeper into Ember & Stone's new brand — from voice guidelines to design tokens, every detail is documented in the interactive brand book.
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