Retail Magic in the Hood
Recently I came across a great example of retail driven urban renewal. As a branding agency we have a particular soft spot for retail brands and the role they play (good and bad) in the lives of community. For me POPUPHOOD reflects the very best of the role retail can play in re-invigorating urban communities.

POPUPHOOD is an urban initiative and small business incubator revitalizing Oakland in San Francisco where — despite a thriving bar and restaurant scene — retail continues to struggle. POPUPHOOD is the embodiment of an innovative strategy for breathing new life into the city’s retail sector in downtown’s hip, historic Old Oakland neighborhood. Similar in many ways to our own Renew Australia’s efforts to connect artists and community projects with vacant buildings to revive derelict areas, POPUPHOOD started in the historic neighborhood of Old Oakland, filling five previously vacant store fronts with five new retail shops, including a jewellers and art gallery. The project’s main focus is to support the local community, providing them with a vibrant shopping area and giving local artists, designers and retailers the opportunity to open their own store for six months, rent free. By building cross-sector partnerships with state and federal governments and economic development professionals, POPUPHOOD plans to incubate small businesses and create a dynamic community-centric neighborhood, optimizing empty retail space block by block.

POPUPHOOD Oakland retailers include: Manifesto Bicycles, Marion and Rose’s Workshop, Sticks + Stones, Piper + John General Goods, Turtle and Hare, and Crown Nine – each business having a strong sense of integrity, craft and personality. Tellingly there are no $2 shops, discount stores or big box retailers here – the strength of the POPUPHOOD concept is community, with all businesses involved providing a real sense of connection with and back into the local scene.

The video below explains POPUPHOOD in more detail:

Click here to view the embedded video.

When we talk of retail brands typically we think of the large chain retails and the manner in which they create a clearly defined proposition with a broad and active brand communications campaign to connect with their markets. But here we have an example of the other side of retail branding; small, high integrity crafts people with an absolute passion for what they do, connecting with members of their local community in order to trade. This is retail old-school. I believe this approach to retail and retail branding is connecting on a powerful, emotional level with a part of the modern urban mindset that craves intimate, communal relationships within our communities. The branding as it exists here is intuitive, the brand design of visual language is not corporate, or strategically considered, but authentically driven by the retailer’s own passion – and this is the strength.

If the POPUPHOOD concept proves to be as successful as I hope it does, it will not only provide a blueprint for similar urban renewal programs throughout the cities of the world, but perhaps also an insight into a new category of old school retail opportunities based upon single store brands with a real passion and integrity for their product, who see themselves as an integral part of a community.

Dave Ansett, Brandamentalist
Retail Brand Designer
For monthly updates of our thinking, click here to receive our free Brand Newsletter

This short film documents the founders and participants of POPUPHOOD, and was created by Oakland photographer Eva Kolenko in hopes of introducing their inspiring stories to others and in some way improve the community in which she lives and loves. All the music featured in this documentary was created by Oakland musicians, Beat Rock Music, Precipitate Records, Gummybear, and James + Evander. Also Special thanks to Kate Ellen of Crown Nine for conducting all the interviews and for all the additional assistance in filming this short documentary.

To learn more about POPUPHOOD visit popuphood.com

Having just spent three weeks in California over the holiday period, I couldn’t help but marvel at the wide array of creative expressions seen in the every day.  From the impressive graffiti and street art in San Francisco, to the high end museums and art galleries in Los Angeles, there was something for everyone.  On my travels, I came cross a truly unique creative project which I wanted to share. Creative Future is a creative publication and art project, featuring some of the most talented and inspiring individuals in the art and design industry.  The purpose behind the project was to create a handcrafted quality product that’s not only a creative publication, but also an artwork in itself.

Creative Future first launched in September 2010 by 18 year old Danish art student, Christian Andersen.  Recently interviewed for Cool Hunting, Anderson gave some insights into the reasons behind the magazine and the creative process.  Working out of his room in his parents’ basement, Andersen spends “hours upon hours” creating what he thinks of more as an art project than a magazine, with a goal to “inspire and lift the creative spirits within.” Having just released the second edition, Andersen is very much the major operating act behind each issue, but says that, overall, “Creative Future is really a collaborative project, because it’s formed by everyone who’s been a part of the creative process since the first pencil line was drawn.”

When the team create an issue of Creative Future they go through a long process, choosing the right materials for the issue. Every magazine they have put out so far has literally been put together by hand. And that’s one of the major reasons why they think each magazine is an artwork in itself. None of them are exactly the same. Besides that, the artist responsible for the main feature of each issue gets the chance to design the cover and an exclusive item for the project. In this issue Aaron De La Cruz hand-painted 50 limited puzzles to include in Issue #2, all hand-numbered and signed in his studio in San Francisco. Anderson feels it is those kinds of things that makes Creative Future special.

It’s not just another magazine featuring a couple of articles and interviews. The team put hours upon hours into the small details of each the issue, by experimenting with different design techniques, types of paper and packaging. That is also why they don’t set a specific release date for our publications before they are 100% satisfied with the content and look. They don’t want to compromise if it affects the quality of the publication.

The publication is a perfect example of how important it is to truly love what you do, and how magical passion can be when allowed to prosper.  The Creative Future team are looking to create a truly unique and memorable brand with a product that does more than simply exist.  It seeks to inspire its readers to be more.

If you want some advice on how you can bring something exceptional into your brand, why not give us a call?

Nikki Williams
Director of Brand Projects

The Pulling Power of Brand Rituals
To be successful, all brands must develop a culture that builds-upon their differentiated proposition with all they do each and every day. Brands able to create unique and engaging ‘rituals’ performed by their people create an indisputable brand property to leverage in the battle to win customers and their loyalty.

As Icelandic premier league football team Stjarnan have proved, a unique and surprising ritual is often the difference between fame and obscurity. As far as football teams go on the world stage, Stjarnan are far from a household name – yet they’ve successfully built a brand and major international awareness as a result of their uniquely creative and entertaining goal scoring rituals.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Of the thousands of football clubs who compete every week around the globe, one has chosen to build a ritual that stands-out from the crowd. Stjarnan is not the wealthiest club, it can’t boast international super stars or mass media interest. Like most brands the world over, Stjarnan had to find a way to disproportionately create an impression relative to their budget and market share. A brand ritual provides a platform for rich brand story telling both within an organization and between customers and those with the potential to become customers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Even in a white kit (the brand equivalent of a packaging re-design) the brand ritual still provides consistency…

Click here to view the embedded video.

The result is a reminder and an inspiration to brand owners and marketers of every description; seek to create a unique and engaging ritual for your brand – one that captures the imagination of your market and builds a buzz about your business.

Dave Ansett, Brandamentalist
Creator of Brands Rituals
For monthly updates of our thinking, click here to receive our free Brand Newsletter

We Love Pop-Up Retail
There’s something about retail experiences popping-up in spaces that were previously public thoroughfares that creates an irresistible energy and attraction. The right offer, appearing magically in the path of the right consumer with the right brand proposition and brand identity creates a dissonance for consumers that is both compelling and inspiring. ‘Snackbox’, a shipping container turned modern canteen has recently popped-up in New York’s Times Square.

Montreal-based firms Aedifica and Muvbox teamed up to create ‘Snackbox’, created for restauranteur Jonathan Morr, owner of well respected eateries; Republic and BONDST. Snackbox serves-up iconic New York street food with a gourmet flair. The menu is described as “American street food,” featuring hot dogs, pastries, pretzels, coffee, etc. fare typically found at the ubiquitous food carts around NY. But like all great retail food brands, Snackbox has a specialty – hot dogs. The dogs are all-beef, seasoned and smoked, steamed and then finished on a griddle and served with homemade sauces. Makes my mouth water just typing that.

The bold black and white graphics contrast the colorful environment, while the dimensions of the container are just large enough to work as a food vending station. Twenty feet (six meters) long, the box is movable and entirely self-sufficient. Working off the gird, a fresh and grey water supply tank is embedded into the floor. The power comes from hybrid energy systems, combining electric batteries and a generator. In the winter, the recuperating heat from the generator is used to heat the interior for the staff, optimizing the small space. For the service area, the a section of the wall pivots upward, transforming from a closed entity into a bar with an awning. The quick transformation allows the vendor to open and close in minutes.

all images © cesar nicolescu

Dave Ansett, Brandamentalist
Designer with a Voracious Appetite for Retail Brands
For monthly updates of our thinking, click here to receive our free Brand Newsletter

The Very Best Brand Experiences are Integrated
One of the problems we see with most online brand expressions is that they’re seen as only that – online brand expressions. It’s when online brand communication integrates seamlessly with the brand in the real world that the magic kicks-in.

A ripping example of new technology combining with the the good-ol’ real world is this CD promotion for Canadian band Jive Talk for their CD – ’123 Jump’.

Click here to view the embedded video.

There’s plenty of new and interesting technology around – QR codes being just one – but it’s only when you see them combining so seamlessly such as with this project you get a sense of just how powerful a brand gesture they can create.

Dave Ansett, Brandamentalist
Designer of Integrated Brand Communications
For monthly updates of our thinking, click here to receive our free Brand Newsletter

Jive Talk Project Credits
Agency: Rethink http://www.rethinkcanada.com
Photographer: Haruki Noguchi
Illustrator: Chairman Ting http://www.chairmanting.com
Programmer and Animator: Ken Malley

Listen to more from Jive Talk – http://jivetalk.bandcamp.com/album/123-jump

Australian Marketing & Design Industry Mag B&T features our recent rebrand project for the Jean Hailes Foundation
Melbourne-based brand agency Truly Deeply recently created a new corporate identity for not-for-profit women’s organisation The Jean Hailes Foundation. The organisation which is devoted to improving the health and wellbeing of women has a new tagline -‘evidence inspired positive action’…

To read the article on B&T click here.
To read our case study click here.
To visit the Jean Hailes website click here.

Nothing’s Colder than an Ex.
The Truly Deeply brand team were enjoying a Friday arvo pub lunch up at The Clarendon a couple of weeks ago when one of our guys spotted a point of sale promo for Ex-wife Bitter. The brand name was so brilliant, at first impression we assumed it to be a made-up brand. But we were delighted to discover there really is a beer brand called Ex-wife bitter, and the brand language just got better with the tag line of ‘nothing’s colder than an ex’.

As we enjoyed our chicken parmas and pub steak sangas, we reflected on the brand building power of an extraordinary brand name. Few brand names create the memorable talk-ability as inspired as Ex-wife Bitter, and for a consumer brand like a beer, talk-ability goes a long way to launching a new brand and building market share. Especially for small brands lacking substantial marketing budgets, the ability to create a powerful brand asset like a name with this much kick is an opportunity to really punch above your weight. In the modern blokey world that is the majority of the market for beer brands this piece of inspired brand naming was always going to be a winner.

Dave Ansett, Brandamentalist
Creator of Brilliant Brand Names, not ex-wives
For monthly updates of our thinking, click here to receive our free Brand Newsletter

When it Comes to Brand, few Not-for-Profits Really Hit the Mark.
As a rule, not-for-profit organisations fall short of the mark when it comes to sophisticated brand development. Given the hugely competitive environment they play in, a clearly differentiated brand proposition provides a critical platform on which to build an effective brand. Then there are the organisations whose brands operate on another level altogether. These brands don’t see themselves as part of an unsophisticated market, but have a sense of who they are and how they’re unique within their very DNA. For these organisations connect with their market at the level all great brands do, and as a result, are the real bright lights in this category.

Global not-for-profit Movember is a leading example of this type of organisation. From it’s inception as a small charity in Australia, Movember intuitively understood how to weave cool and charity together, tapping into the mo-vibe in a way more akin to a fashion brand. The result is they’ve grown to a truly international organisation at the speed of lightening. This year Movember is celebrated in 14 countries, having raised over $36m as I write, and we’re not half way through the month.

Movember has a multi dimensional brand that is connecting with a huge league of Mo-bros around the world. Each element from the brand identity to the website design and social media program to commercial sponsorship is carefully crafted. And this year, they have added the powerful medium of film making to their brand communications mix. We’ve long been a fan of film as brandertainment, but few examples exist of truly entertaining content such as these short documentaries created for Movember under the theme of Craft and Pride: Movember is back in 2011 with a nod to the country gentleman and life in the great outdoors. Men with an appreciation of natural quality, craftsmanship and the simple pleasures in life will be roaming proud across the country, sporting facial finery; a genuine and authentic moustache.

Here’s a taste of the series – watch and enjoy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

At Truly Deeply we have a special affinity with not-for-profit organisations and their brands. We raise more than $20,000 each year for local charity through our Art with Heart event, and have worked with many not for profit organisations to position their brands for success. If you’re a not-for-profit, looking to take your brand to the next level, why not get in touch, we’d love to make a difference to how you go about making a difference.

Dave Ansett, Brandamentalist
Brand Creator & Grower of Facial Hair
For monthly updates of our thinking, click here to receive our free Brand Newsletter

Campaign Brief features our recent launch of the new Inspired Gift Cards brand identity design
Melbourne brand strategy and design agency, Truly Deeply, has unveiled their brand identity design for Inspired Gift Cards. The new Australian online retailer ‘Inspired Gift cards’ provides an innovative solution to the gift giving headache. The site offers a wide selection of gift vouchers from leading retailers, top restaurants, premium brands and unique experience providers…

To read the article on Campaign Brief click here.
To read our case study click here.
To visit the Inspired Gift Cards site click here.

Fresh from the Kitchens of the Renowned Daylesford Lake House
Over the past year-or-so we’ve been co-creating with Lake House Founder and food guru Alla Wolf-Tasker and her daughter, Lake House marketer Larissa Wolf-Tasker, cooking-up a tasty brand, name and packaging design for their new range of produce.

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