Musings on brands and branding
03.05.10
We all love a unique brand expression and I can’t help but acknowledge one of the most remarkable brand expressions I’ve seen in recent times (albeit dating back to the late 1970s) from one of the most iconic and well know fashion brands in the world – Gucci.
02.22.10
All Brands Have Meaning
Whether carefully and strategically considered or by default, all brands hold associated meanings in the minds of the market place. Well considered brands establish a competitive brand proposition (their brand strategy) with layers of meaning to both differentiate themselves from their competitors and to connect with their audience. These brands reinforce their meaning through all of their actions or brand touch points and their brand design. As a brand agency we help brands to define their meaning and create their unique brand design for all their communications in order to create a consistent association with these layers of meaning in the hearts and minds of their customers.
adidas Vs Nike
Today we compare the brand associations of spots apparel icons adidas & Nike.
02.16.10
What Makes a Compelling Brand Story?
In a recent spot created for MercedesBenzTV the German luxury car brand designed a wonderful piece of brand story-telling. As neatly defined by Chip & Dan Heath in their book Made to Stick, the most appealing (’stickiest’) stories are those that are: • Simple; • Unexpected; • Concrete; • Credible; and • Emotional. When you apply these five principles to stories that align with your key messages, you deepen the emotional bond between your customers and your company.
02.10.10
Like bumping into an old friend
Currently I’m in the market for a new TV, so last week whilst I was shopping at Victoria Gardens, I popped into Dick Smith to see what they had on offer. On the way in I was greeted by a familiar face, Dick himself. See they’ve yet to rebrand this store with the new identity. As you may know, last year Dick Smith rebranded (some stores anyway). Now much has been said about the design of the new brandmark and I don’t mean to get into the issues it may have or lecture the designers who created it – what I do want to talk about is the brand personality and what I see as a missed opportunity. Seeing the old identity in all its glory reminded me of what has been lost.
02.05.10
Working for a creative brand agency I’ve always valued remarkable advertising and marketing. One particular stand-out for me was Veet’s “Goodbye Bush” ad that ran as a quarter page in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph and Melbourne’s Herald Sun in January 2009. The ad was forwarded in a viral frenzy to family, friends (myself being one of them) and colleagues around the globe, by 3pm the same day had made it’s way back in the in-boxes of staff where the campaign had started – Euro RSCG’s Sydney office.
So what was it that made this ad so remarkable it created a life of its own?
02.03.10
When advertising and the Customer Break-Up
When it comes to brands, the old adage of the customer is always right is pretty much spot-on. Maybe it’d be more accurate to say the Customer is never wrong. With traditional ad campaigns no longer connecting with their audience at the same emotional level, it’s time for clients and agencies to say “it’s not you, it’s me” and really mean it.
11.23.09
I like a beer, there’s no point hiding it, it comes hand in hand with the Irish Brogue. So naturally, I pay a little bit more attention when new beer brands are born. So I was somewhat intrigued when I noticed the huge billboards on the end of Punt Road with colourful DNA graphics and a fancy boutique bottled beer. It was a new brand, 62 with the tag line ‘You know who you are’ and a descriptor ‘the perfectly individual pilsner’
I wasn’t intrigued enough to seek it out or try it, it didn’t seem like my kinda beer, a bit flash, for a fella like me. It wasn’t till stuck at the lights one day, I noticed the Coopers logo in the corner of the Ad and felt a thrill. Maybe this beer is worth my attention. Coopers are brewers I trust. They make great grog.
11.16.09
At the end of a long hard day have you ever sat back and dreamt of escaping the constraints of modern life? I know I have. It’s what makes all the sea change programs and stories so appealing. So when recently I found myself watching a TV ad that set out to appeal to exactly that sentiment, I was intrigued. It was long at 60 seconds, but was well produced with stunning imagery.
The ad began by showing a baby swimming, this is the freedom we are all born with.
Then the images became grey and hum drum. This is the reality of our lives. The baby is soon behind the bars of a cot, a man is just one of dozens sitting in identical work stations in an open office, miserable commuters are standing on a packed train etc. You get the picture.
11.03.09
I got home one evening recently and I had 4 envelopes in the post box. They were all pretty much the same size, but there the similarities ended.
The first envelope was plain, brown and unaddressed, except for the ominous warning ‘To the Home Owner’. The second was a plain white window envelope addressed to me. The third had the brand mark of my mobile phone provider and the fourth the logo of the travel agent we went on holiday with six months ago and carried a message ‘Exclusive offers and packages for our VIP customers’.
So I took out my ’stethoscope’ and listened for a brand heart beat from each envelope.
10.26.09
A new avenue of advertising for Brands with urban charatcer, is the ‘Dynamic projection in movement’ by Lumina Motion, Santiago de Chile. Developed to bring buildings and structures to life by transmitting realism to video projections, the projections bring a unique brand experience for the spectators.
Lumina Motion surprise and impress through light, a key element of our culture that has amazed our kind since the beginning of times in all its shapes and forms.
Creatively bringing brands alive with a huge dose of strategic creative flair and imagination can differentiate a brand in its market. If you need some ideas on how your brand can do this, drop us a line.
Tim Wood
Creative Genius
