New York City in the 1980’s was bustling with energy and creativity after near bankruptcy. Artists, designers, musicians, writers and well known denizens restlessly roamed the fashionable urban streets. An optician by trade, Robert Marc saw an opportunity to make a name for itself and opened its first boutique on Columbus Avenue in 1981. Quickly recognized for its unique ability to bring both comfort and fashion to the eyewear industry, the brand decided to launch its first collection in 1999. 

The brand story was the brand of a man. We collaborated with the Robert Marc team to transform this story, from a 1980s brand about an individual, to a modern story of a brand in evolution in the most dynamic city in the world.

Campaign shot by Arnaud Montagard.

Brand Identity, Retail Assets, Campaign, Photography.

Robert Marc NYC takes pride in every detail of their frames, harmonizing premium materials and unique color combinations to create timeless eyewear. The hinge is their trademark: inspired by historical design and construction. Informed by decades of expertise. Fundamental to making their frames distinctively ROBERT MARC NYC.

New York City holds the passion that drives our brand. She is the city that never sleeps, where icons dwell, possibilities are endless and dreams take shape. Where trends are imagined, created, embodied and reinvented. We have always harnessed the vitality of this city and we are proud to outfit some of its most renowned personalities.

“The work we did with forceMAJEURE and most notable, Pierre Delebois and Laurent Hainaut, was a passionate journey of brand analysis and evaluation, prior to the process of creative evolution. We worked through the process of transition internally from Robert to myself, as well as the process of building a creative synergy with Pierre and the team. Pierre is an unbelievably talented creative who puts his full soul into the project, and is willing to tell you things you don’t always want to hear to improve the process. And that leads to a strong dialogue when you are a lifetime New Yorker hearing from an assertive Parisian. He has ideas that span throughout the creative process, and his work has modernized the Robert Marc NYC brand, stores, and identity. We developed a strong trust and respect for one another, which I believe was the key to our success.

The initial stages of any brand evaluation can be challenging and cause you to become introspective, and Pierre led that process, while at the same time sharing ideas and concepts that moved the brand dramatically. New logo, identity, photography campaigns, and usage models were all created through partnership, and he never stopped thinking of ways to assist the brand. Incorporating strong creative partners like Arnaud Montagard in the creative flow, we began the process of transforming the look and feel of the brand, to match the new product releases we were creating as well.

After working together, I can say the process was an amazing creative undertaking, and Pierre has not only become a trusted creative partner but a good friend. I believe the thoughtful 360 creative approach led to results we are quite proud of, and positioned Robert Marc NYC for the future.”

Jeff Press, Chief Creative Officer at LOH: Morgenthal Frederics/Robert Marc NYC.