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Morrison and Shorten fail to build brand differentiation

Spot the difference: Neither of the leaders has an engaging or distinctive personal brand. While the polls have consistently pointed towards a narrow win for Labor, they also highlighted very small differences in whom Australians prefer as their PM. The last Newspoll before the election…

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10 annoying things designers do

Designers can’t help it. It’s not our fault. We like to judge. We are picky. We like to openly criticise design, even if no one asked us our opinion. It’s in our DNA. We seriously can’t help it, fact. We are a collective who are…

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10 ways to stay creative in chaotic times

We’re always looking for inspiration on creativity as I enjoyed this talk from author Austin Kleon, writer of Steal like an Artist and Show your Work. It forms the basis for his new book Keep Going. He talks about 10 ways to keeping moving forward,…

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Fake personal branding. Have we moved from real people to puppets?

No longer true blue, Aussie pollies are being shaped to ‘fit’ the party image and narrative. The role of personal branding has been impacted significantly by the shift towards more populist politics. In the past, political leaders like Whitlam, Hawke, Menzies and even Howard stood…

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Some words of wisdom from designer and illustrator, Zach Hobbs.

  As well as working as a communication designer at IDEO, Zach Hobbs creates experimental, abstract, and satirical artworks that resemble the sharpie rendition of a bad acid trip. I was lucky enough to interview Zach recently and wanted to share with you his insights…

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Palmer rebrand not really a rebrand at all

Palmer United Party changes name to United Australia Party When is a rebrand not really a rebrand? When you change your name and maybe your logo but nothing really changes. That is exactly what Clive Palmer seems to be doing. Clive has announced that Palmer…

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Vale Anthony Bourdain

Like many people throughout the world, I was deeply saddened to hear about the recent death of Anthony Bourdain. A man with a desirable, dynamic and authentic personal brand, he was not your average celebrity chef, author, travel documentarian, and presenter. Bourdain introduced us to…

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Banksy strikes again

Banksy has popped up in the heart of London this week, unveiling two new murals close to the capital’s Barbican Centre. Banksy has described the murals as an “(unofficial) collaboration” with the upcoming centre’s exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat, an American artist who started his career off as…

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Culture eats strategy for breakfast

It doesn’t matter how much you spend on strategy, branding, creative, media or reputation if there’s something wrong with your culture. As Uber is currently proving. It’s impossible in today’s society to mask an internal culture with brand. Sooner or later the truth will out…

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How personal brand is the foundation for building your business brand

Simple Personal Branding is great for Brand Building Recently I bumped-into a friend of mine; Graeme Goldman at a business event. Graeme is one of Australia’s brilliant entrepreneurs quietly going about growing impressive businesses and brands. His retail watch business, 8th Avenue Watch Co is…

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Master Personal Brand Fail for MasterChef King George Calombaris

It would appear MasterChef Judge and restaurant king George Calumbaris has tarnished his personal brand when it was recently revealed nearly 200 staff at his restaurants have been underpaid $2.6 million. George Calombaris’ company underpaid 162 of the 430 current staff at his restaurants including…

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Bruce rocks the rock…

Last weekend I saw two legends in Melbourne, two men so passionate about their work, that they are still going after 45 and 65 years respectfully. It’s not every weekend you get to experience great, influencers at the top of their game, who can rally…

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Brand differentiation: Lye back and think of Iceland

Enjoy Our Nature’s explosive Icelandic condom packaging. As a brand agency with differentiation at our core, we’re always looking for unique ways to help brands standout from the pack. We salute brands who see the world differently, so we couldn’t go past this brand packaging…

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How do I apply for a design job…? Tips from a designer. Part 1.

Applying for a design job can be a big task when your starting out! We have put together some tips to help students, grads or anyone trying to get themselves out there in the design industry. When I was starting my design career I had a…

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Australian political party Logos – A sad but true reflection?

Is the dire state of Australian political party brand identity a reflection of the state of Australian politics? We’re the first to admit we have an unreasonably high expectation of brand identity standards. We set the bar pretty high and expect everyone else should follow…

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5 reasons behind Donald Trump’s thriving personal brand

Donald Trump has one of the strongest brands in the world right now, and he didn’t have to change a thing to get there. Donald Trump has become one of the most powerful brands in the world, with the Trump boom continuing to grow every day. Trump has demonstrated…

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How your choice of internet browser determines if you’re an original thinker

It turns out the browser you use determines job performance, commitment and innovative thinking. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant in his TED Talk; ‘The surprising habits of original thinkers’ presents an insight into browser choice as an indicator of innovative and original thinking. Grant says; “There’s…

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11 x World Surfing Champion – A Closer Look into the Life of Kelly Slater

A true surfing legend – a snap of myself with Kelly Slater at the 2016 Rip Curl Pro. I was lucky enough to meet Kelly Slater over the long weekend at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, and it’s fair to say I am a pretty…

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Major sponsors cut ties with Maria Sharapova, but for what reason?

Sponsors using Sharapova’s news to kill two birds with one stone. Choosing not to stand by Sharapova because of recent events? Or was it just the perfect excuse to move on without facing public backlash? Nike, the same company that stood by Tiger Woods and…

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Give that designer an award!

Meeting crazy demands from clients, software problems and frantically working to ridiculous deadlines are just some of the stuff designers have to put up with on a regular basis. Most of the time, the struggles go unnoticed outside the studio, so wouldn’t it be nice…

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Kylie Vs Kylie – The power of a personal brand name

If there’s one sure sign you’re a global brand, it’s when you’re recognized by your first name alone; think Madonna, Beyonce, Adele and Kylie. A trademark battle has broken out in the US where Kylie Jenner of Kardashian fame has been seeking to legally own…

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Walsh has used her personal brand to start the conversation about women in design

Like many others, I have eagerly been following Jessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman’s most recent side project: 12 Kinds of Kindness. (…yes #squadgoals!) Now aside from wishing I had come up with such an intelligent project myself, I do believe it has the power to create some…

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Another point of view for transport brands

Bulgarian architect Yasena Popover’s unique view of everyday objects reminds us there is always room for creative expression of you subject no matter how mundane they may seem. Taking ordinary objects, ordinary brands she transforms them using recoloured photography into beautifully complex works of art.…

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