The challenge
Founded in Austria at the end of the nineteenth century, Kneissl is one of the oldest and most respected names in skiing. Renowned for innovation, craftsmanship and performance, the brand has spent more than 120 years producing premium sporting equipment and has been used by royalty, Olympic athletes and cultural icons alike.
Despite this remarkable heritage, the brand faced a modern challenge. While its reputation remained strong among loyal customers, contemporary ski culture had increasingly embraced newer lifestyle brands with greater relevance to modern consumers. The challenge was to retain the credibility and authenticity that defined Kneissl while creating a clearer position within the modern premium sports and leisure market.
The approach
The project began with a comprehensive brand repositioning exercise designed to redefine what Kneissl stands for today. Through stakeholder workshops and strategic development, a new brand platform was created, establishing a clear purpose, mission, values, principles and personality.
At the heart of the strategy sat a simple proposition: 120 Years of Exploration & Innovation. This proposition became the strategic framework for future communications, product development and brand evolution, supported by three core brand pillars — Technology, Performance and History — and guided by the principles of Excellence, Innovation and Craftsmanship.
Building on the existing identity, the brand guidelines were expanded to create a more coherent system across print, digital and physical touchpoints. New collateral templates, product brochures, ecommerce concepts, campaign assets and apparel collections were developed to demonstrate how the brand could evolve while remaining true to its heritage.
The outcome
The repositioned brand establishes a clear framework for connecting Kneissl’s heritage of innovation, performance and craftsmanship with a contemporary audience of skiers, travellers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Kneissl now extends beyond skis and equipment into apparel, ecommerce and digital marketing, creating a unified brand experience across every customer touchpoint. Expanded brand guidelines establish a comprehensive identity system, product brochures adopt a refined technical aesthetic, while digital experiences embrace the aspirational nature of alpine lifestyle culture through bold imagery and adventure-led storytelling.
Together, these elements demonstrate how strategic brand thinking can honour more than a century of heritage while creating a compelling platform for future growth.
