Brand Experiences with Brand Differentiation Designed-in
Australian beer brand VB has just launched a sales promotion based on a seriously smart product innovation – the disposable ice box. The ‘Esky’ as ice boxes are called down under is an essential piece of beer drinkining equipment as much of the beverage is imbibed outdoors and through typically long and hot summers. Keeping beer cold at these times is possibly the most essential act of human survival.
It’s not unusual for a designer to become consumed with a single project, think of Stefan Sagmeister’s AIGA poster. For Christoph Brach and Daniera ter Haar their obsession, a project called Raw Color, even gave their studio its name (the project has since become known as 100% SAP to avoid confusion). 100%SAP is visual research about vegetables and the power of natural colour. Vegetables are purified to their visual essence ‘Raw Color’, a natural ink to feed a new printing process which enables the viewer to watch the posters print slightly grow.
Docomo. Creating Organic Technology.
More and more we are seeing mobile phone based companies competing to slim line products to feel organic and seamless attempting to keep up with Apple’s domination of the mobile phone market. User interactions with products that are effortless and seamless has become the challenge and Docomo (Japan’s premier provider of leading-edge mobile voice, data and multimedia services) has taken on this idea from a different angle.
Engaging Brand Communication.
We are all engaging, it’s within our DNA to be interested and engaged by things. As brand communication has evolved, we too have evolved in the way we engage with brands. Seventy years ago we were happy to hear someone we trusted tell us about a brand on the wireless. Fifty years ago, when we saw those brands come to life on TV we were again engaged. The next generation of consumers once another layer of engagement again. We want to be involved with the brands we love and trust, not just spoken to as a passive audience. That’s not to say television and radio have lost their relevance – far from it – they remain the most potent way to communicate to a mass audience. But on their own these above the line mediums do not provide the answer, merely the most effective way to deliver their part of an integrated brand communications campaign.
For all brands of all shapes and sizes, one of the most pressing demands is to create engaging communications interfaces for your audience. Whether that is turning a piano store into a mini-recital theater, a delivery van into a moving call to action, or training your staff so each of their customer interactions leaves an indelible brand impression – the art of connecting with your customers has never been a more critical component of every businesses strategy for growth.
The Powerful Art of Brand Story Telling.
One of the great challenges for many organizations is the ability to tell rich and evocative brand stories. Even when they have clarity about the themes of their story, finding the right place and the right way to tell them is a hurdle too big to overcome. Swedish collective Front Design helps women in rural South Africa tell their stories to the rest of the world, using beaded typography on glass vases. The result is an inspiringly unexpected masterclass in story telling.
There is nothing like the mother of necessity to inspire creativity. Cigarette brand owners are amongst the most creative brand owners on this planet because they have to be. They will never roll over and die (like many of their customers!), they will simply fight each new hurdle imposed by Government legislation, because their very existence depends on them finding new and novel ways to retain their appeal.
This week in Los Angeles, Levi’s is unveiling the latest installment of its Levi’s Workshops. Having already conquered New York with their Photo Workshop in October last year, and more recently San Francisco with its Print Workshop, the brand is moving to the home of movies, Los Angeles, with a new Film Workshop.
Capturing the Brand Essence of Travel.
DDB Paris created this outstanding, fun ‘Escape Machine’ brand experience for travel company Voyages.
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Parkour – Urban Movement Redefined.
It’s official – there’s an academy for just about anything in the universe. For anyone who hasn’t seen Parkour before – it’s an unbelievable blend of urban gymnastics meets jackass. This video is a promo for the soon to be launched Tempest Freerunning Academy in California. The Avcadamy’s ‘dedicated to the growth and spread of freerunning and parkour’.
