I just experienced a strange case of brand deja-vu on a mini break at Silverwater Resort. I was struck by the similarity of the Silverwater Resort brand to that of Emaar Properties.
The resort is in an idyllic spot overlooking Phillip Island. It has a lot going for it, especially if you have kids. But the similarity of the brand identity made me feel like the whole experience was not authentic.
Holistic Retail Brand Experience.
October is a very busy month for me when it comes to birthdays and certainly not least my wife’s! Having not ventured down Chapel Street for quite some time, recently we both decided that Chapel Street this year would solve the usual question of “what would you like for your birthday?” in one foul retailing swoop.
A Beautifully Executed Re-branding Project.
We were engaged with Jean Hailes to conduct a full brand re-design, starting with the strategic framework and outputting all brand identity collateral. In a little under two decades Jean Hailes has developed a significant standing in the women’s health sector. But it also understands that it needs to continue to proactively develop the direction of the Jean Hailes brand. A direction that would further solidify Jean Hailes as the authority in women’s health to deliver cutting edge research and medical services for their clients. The result – a beautifully designed re-brand for this not-for profit in women’s health.
Students lead the way in Ferrar’s future!
Ferrari World Design Contest is a competition that was launched by the team from Maranello in collaboration with Autodesk (the project’s technical partner and official sponsor) for schools and universities from the design and automotive sectors not only in Italy but around the world to create the Ferrari of the future.
The Litmus group is a market leading niche international management consulting company who needed to rephrase their brand to better fit their highly differentiated approach business proposition.
The famous and annoying catch cry, “down, down” and the big red finger might actually carry far greater symbolism for Coles and their reputation than they realise. As the brand becomes more elastic and focuses on ‘stretch, stretch how far can we stretch’, could this strategy actually bring the brand down or is Coles setting a new benchmark for Australian brands?
Companies are always seeking new ways to grow and expand but when brands start to develop a bigger range of products, there is a danger of stretching the brand too far. Extensions can have a knock on effect that confuses the brand’s identity, its customers and can potentially leave the brand open to attack from more focussed competitors.
The Brand Art of Standing-Out.
Rotterdam-based artist Florentijn Hofman has created this wonderful work; ‘stor gul kanin (big yellow rabbit)’, his newest large-scale sculpture conceived for this summer’s Openart Biennale in öreboro, Sweden. Hofman’s work uses scale and context to challenge the function and purpose of the public space, this 13-meter high bunny explores the notion of scale and urban perspective by providing a new focal point in the open square. I cannot think of a better analogy for creating brand communications that both connect with your market and stand-out in your market than Hofman’s giant yellow bunny.
Chipotle has joined forces with Willie Nelson to create this beautiful animated short. Hauntingly covering Coldplay’s The Scientist, the short tells an emotional and beautiful story of the modern food production world. The message doesn’t directly advertise Chipotle’s product (creating hand crafted burritos that supports local produce and farmers) but rather supports their cause. While there are a growing number of organic, local farmer supported products, the cause is enough and this type of creative strategy is not only going to strengthen Chipotle’s brand but also their industry. And being a leader in a growing market is a good place to be. What’s more they have embraced the opportunity to create something lasting and with meaning.
Check out the beautiful animated short after the jump.
How bold can your brand gesture go?
I couldn’t help but notice this incredible bold brand gesture concept that I stumbled across whilst flicking through The Cool Hunter.
Art is evocative and emotional and to many people the meaning revolves around the subject matter and composition. Artist, Arthur Buxton invites us to look at art in new ways, to perceive it differently. Engaging and interesting in their intent, he has developed a new way of looking at color schemes.
