Client: Monier, formally Lafarge, is the largest producer and supplier of premium-quality roofing tiles in China.

Case: When Lafarge’s roofing division renamed its business “Monier”, they required a Chinese name and Chinese tagline that would allow them to maintain existing buyer relationships and grow their business in China. The name was to represent Monier’s global leadership in construction materials and to express attributes of quality and expertise in roofing, innovation, and in unique, premium products. The name needed to be appropriate across all Chinese dialects, especially Chinese Mandarin and Cantonese.

Solution: 曼 宁 家 [màn níng jiā] 曼宁家,美屋面 好生活

曼宁家 means “graceful and peaceful home”. The name expresses the quality and premium status of the brand. The structure of the characters themselves communicates key brand attributes. In fact, 宁 is a 宀 roof with a 丁 – it sounds the same as 钉, nails, and is associated with buildings and construction. 家 which also has a roof on top of the Chinese character, translates as home, family, house. It also means an expert. As the name is also phonetically close to Monier, it is a highly effective Chinese name creation.

美屋面, or “beautiful roof”, refers to aesthetic aspects of roofing; 好生活 , “good living”, conveys high living standards including comfort and safety. The tagline’s symmetrical structure, formed by a three 3-character phrase, gives a poetic feeling, making it easy to remember and communicate. Both name and the tagline were found to be effective in Chinese Mandarin and main dialects - Shanghainese, Cantonese, Sichuanese, Taiwanese.