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The power of customer-centric brand thinking.

Now that seems like a valuable brand proposition. All to often we find brands working in a market driven paradigm. That-is, their mindset of how they go to market is based upon the collective history of how the category has always operated. What was will…

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31 New Killer Custom Typefaces

Custom font design a branding hero. Over the years we’ve published several collections of our favorite customer designed fonts. Our collections skirt the weird and wonderful, celebrating those who push the envelope of typography. And whilst I love the creativity of this brand design work,…

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Victoria’s Secret plays the diversity card, but is it too little too late?

Lingerie giant celebrates major brand shift with plus sized and transgender models. Victoria’s Secret has learnt the importance of ‘never say never’ as they attempt to reverse decades of criticisms of their stand on beauty means. The brand appears to finally understand that the world,…

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Greta – A bold font to celebrate a bold young leader of our time.

The ultimate Designer’s Mark of Respect. You know you’ve made it as a global person of import when your hand writing is turned into a font. Over the years there have been fonts created by the hand writing of Barak Obama and George Washington to…

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RACQ is the top Australian brand in CX survey

Local bank and insurance brands lead the way in customer excellence. KPMG’s Customer Experience Excellence Report shows that six of the top 10 local CX brands are in the banking and insurance sector, but none are the big 4. On the back of a series…

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Make America Greta Again – A brilliant brand parody.

We love a good brand parody. OK, so I have to admit I’m a fan of brand piss-takes of any variety, but when they come to political branding parodies, my appreciation goes up-ten fold. When I first spotted the ‘Make America Great Again’ brand positioning…

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Archivio Graphica Italiana – A tribute to Italian Graphic Design.

Today’s post is unashamedly for our brand design obsessed readers. Apologies to those who don’t suffer this affliction, but for those who do – enjoy! Archivio Graphica Italiana is an online archive dedicated to the Italian graphic design heritage. This work of passion covers ‘the…

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The psychology that drives resistance to branding change.

A Critical Step in Rebranding Strategy. Over recent months (and maybe years) we’ve tracked a growing consumer activism speaking out against changes to brand identity. Whether it’s global fashion retailer Zara, U.S. grocery chain Giant Eagle,  The City of Frederick in Maryland or most recently,…

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Doritos ‘No Logo’ ad misses the point.

Doritos Clever Thinking Only Outsmarts Themselves. Doritos is set to launch an ‘anti-ad’ campaign to appeal to Gen Z, who is research tells us are averse to traditional advertising tactics. The snack food brand plans to ditch its logo, replacing it with a recognizable triangle…

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Why heuristic bias is bad for your brand

A highbrow challenge for brands of every description. As defined by Wikipedia; A heuristic technique is any approach to problem solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method, not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, or rational, but instead sufficient for reaching an immediate goal. When…

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THE:5th’s Swiss Brand Strategy Masterstroke

  How do you launch a category leader to the next phase of growth? This was one of the challenges facing THE:5th when we sat down with them to develop the brand strategy for their next business phase (you can check a case study of…

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French’s Mustard reminds us of the power of crazy.

When it comes to branding, standing out is tougher than it ever has been. Compared to a decade ago, there are many more brands doing more things to differentiate and stand out in the market. The challenge for brand managers, owners and marketers is to…

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The true story behind BMWs iconic branding

The History of BMW’s brand mark. As brands evolve and mature the rationale behind the design of their logo often becomes folklore, coloured as much by popular myth than historical fact. Recently global automaker BMW published an article clearing-up the story behind their iconic brandmark.…

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Solving the Branding Challenge for Startups

Branding for Start-Ups – A critical challenge. There are few things I enjoy more than sitting across the table with a founder of a start-up. The energy, excitement, vision and optimism are often at their peak in the excitement of launching a new enterprise. Over…

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A sneak peek into the art of designing film titles for Disney Pixar.

The art of branding meets the world of film. When we think of the classic films from our childhood, we often just as powerfully can picture the title design – especially those iconic titles such as Star Wars, Pulp Fiction or Vertigo. Effectively the title…

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Inspiring branding – Apple’s latest TVC

More brand building mastery from Apple. Whenever I spot a new piece of inspiring branding from Apple I find myself vexed. As a consumer I’m enraptured, immediately engaged and continue to build-on the loyalty and enthusiasm I hold for the brand. As a writer of…

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A Lesson in Retail from Hanoi’s Shoe Street

Is this the toughest retail environment on the planet? On a trip to Vietnam this month I spent a couple of days sweltering through the streets of Hanoi Old Town. The mercury hit 37 degrees and the humidity was thick enough to cut with a…

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The branding data behind Social Influencers

  84 facts every brand owner and manager should know about Social Influencers. Arguably this decade’s greatest disruptor to the way brands go-to-market has been the emerging force of social influencers. In a conversation recently with the founder of Australia’s leading cosmetic retail brands when…

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Viral cinematic brand ad fails to convince.

Never make a brand promise you can’t keep. A three-year-old TVC has gone viral recently, as social media users have enthusiastically shared it as much for its beauty as for the disconnect between the ad and the brand it represents. The stunning film was made…

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Truly Deeply & THE:5th Present at Platinum Partners Conference.

A collaboration of client and agency with a shared view on the value of brand. Truly Deeply Founder; David Ansett and Alex McBride founder of THE:5th were recently invited to present at a conference run by Reliable Education for their platinum partners. The conference delegates…

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A peek behind our brand strategy work for THE:5TH

THE:5TH – A watch brand worth watching. We’ve recently begun working with next gen watch business THE:5TH. For those not familiar with the brand (which makes you over 35 and not fashion savvy) THE:5TH is a stellar example of new businesses disrupting old categories –…

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Truly Deeply rebrands Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

New brand strategy and identity for Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) created by Melbourne brand agency Truly Deeply. The new brand proposition is all about helping both consumers and providers ‘find a clear way forward’. This is supported by clear and simple messaging that explains what…

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Say “hi” to our branding for StartOut

StartOut is an inspiring not-for-profit organisation who match young people with role models to help build resilience, self-acceptance, help break negative self-image and to help navigate their sexuality. We worked with StartOut to create a brand that was inclusive of all diverse sex, sexuality and gender…

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Microcations – the latest trend hitting the travel category.

The Microcation is officially a trend Being driven predominantly by millennials, the microcation is a short getaway that is gaining popularity fast. Research from the U.S. (The 2019 Vacation Confidence Index* released by Allianz Global Assistance) has shown that 72% of millennials, 69% of Gen…

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Lacoste goes brandless to help threatened species

What stronger way to use globally recognized branding than to make it disappear? In another example of brands tapping into the growing consumer trend of social and environmental activism, Lacoste has created a bold social brand campaign to raise awareness and funds to help threatened…

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Uber’s effortless conservation gesture

The dual benefits of brands behaving responsibly. It’s not by good fortune that Uber has become one of the world’s most recognizable brands. From it’s earliest days, Uber and UberEats have demonstrated an effortless ability to weave branding gold whilst retaining the edge of a…

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Why AV business Scene Change spent their entire marketing budget on a private jet (and why it was a good decision).

Marketing Strategy Madness or Branding Genius. In a marketing strategy that sounds lifted from a Vegas comedy about three guys on a bachelor party, Australian corporate AV company Scene Change invested their entire marketing budget for two years to buy and run a private jet.…

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High fashion footwear – The latest branding billboard

The latest branding trend for fashion takes to the streets. As the on again / off again relationship with fashion brands featuring their logos on their clothes continues, the latest trend is high fashion featuring their branding loud and proud on the feet of their…

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Did brand mark design predict Trump’s rise to power?

How brand marks reflect social & cultural trends. Just like uncovering a time capsule or the remains of a petrified Mammoth, a collection of branding from any given period tells us much about that point in time. A case in point is this great snapshot…

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Social Media platforms are disconnecting from Brands.

No more sharing the love. In a move reflecting a growing frustration among brand owners and manager, global beauty brand Lush announced it will be shutting down its social media channels in the UK. For a brand as popular as Lush in a category where…

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Our Brand Strategy for Fonda Mexican sets the path for future growth.

Brand Strategy provides clear direction for business growth Fonda Mexican is a group of eight restaurants located in Melbourne and Sydney. Fonda have redefined Mexican in Australia, shifting market awareness from unhealthy Tex Mex to a healthier, more contemporary Fresh Mexican. Fonda are seen as…

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The surprising case for multiple brand mark identities.

The argument for breaking the conventions of brand identity design. One of the strongest principles of branding is less is more. A simple brand proposition with a single clear point of difference expressed consistently through a brand mark and brand identity design have long been…

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Retail Brand Whole Foods Trials Convenience Format in NYC.

Retail Leader Tweaks Brand to Stay in Front. Recently US retail brand Whole Foods launched a new convenience format of their grocery store model. Since Amazon bought the business the upmarket grocery retailer has been active in trialing new formats aimed at different niches to…

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When it comes to Branding Popular ≠ Best

When it comes to branding – the approval process is a critical component. I was reading recently about a project to rebrand New York City’s privately owned public spaces (or POPS). The rebrand is being run by The New York City Department of City Planning,…

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How Rebranding Transforms Retail Street Appeal to Drive Increased Sales

Measuring the positive impact of rebranding. One of the challenges for many businesses looking to rebrand is establishing hard metrics to measure impact and return on investment. We always like our clients to come to a branding project with clarity on what these metrics may…

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Volvo Brand Walks the Talk on Sustainability.

In branding, doing is more important than saying. How do you build a unique and valued dimension to your brand proposition, one that connects your values with those of your core audience? You walk the talk, demonstrating your beliefs through remarkable brand gestures. It’s not…

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Tiffany Co shows the value of brand – and then take it too far.

The web is ablaze with ‘social commentary’ on Tiffany’s ‘Everyday Object Collection’. At first sight the US$1500 Tiffany 18k gold paperclip is a brilliant example of the power of brand. After-all, anyone can head down to the local stationery store and pick-up a regular gold…

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Ball and Chain Shoppers – A challenge for retail brands

Finding the hidden opportunities for retail branding. An interesting piece of the puzzle for retailers is managing the reluctant customer. So much focus goes in to setting up the store design and merchandising to cater to the customer whose interest brought them into the store.…

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A Guide to marketing to Gen Z

For as long as I’ve been working in branding, I can’t remember a target audience our clients felt they knew as little about as Gen Z. To be fair, part of this confusion comes from a lack of clarity around the age bracket Gen Z…

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The fallout of Nike’s very public product fail.

Ouch! When brands crash to earth. This week Nike suffered a high profile wardrobe failure when the shoe of one of their star college athletes imploded mid-match, sending Zion Williamson tumbling, shortly after followed by the Nike share price. A challenge for all high profile…

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Truly Deeply rebrands Homyped shoes

Redefining one of Australia’s favourite shoe brands to appeal to new generations. Truly Deeply builds on Homyped’s comfort heritage to reposition the brand as smart solutions for healthy feet. The new brand identity leverages the product’s technological and medical credibility to create a more aspirational…

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The surprising Brands behind the world’s most loved Auto Brands

Few brand purchase decisions we make are as strong a reflection of how we see ourselves as consumers and how we wish the world to see us as  choice of the car we drive. Even those who claim to not care what brand of car…

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Delta and Coke’s brand gesture; clever or creepy?

Delta Airlines and Coke apologise after napkins offend Delta and Coca Cola have canned their inflight match-matching brand gesture after many label it creepy. What was intended a bold and fun has potentially caused brand damage. Far from inspiring hook-ups, it has potentially also fractured…

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Mastercard drops their logotype

The Power of Brand Recognition. Global credit card brand Mastercard have announced they’ll be dropping the wordmark from their brand identity. For brands this is the holy grail of recognition and the equivalent of celebrities like Madonna or Kylie being referred-to by their first name…

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Ruby Red chocolate hits town: KitKat leads the frenzy

I’m a self-confessed chocoholic. Like most sane people I love chocolate. In Melbourne, we are spoilt with chocolate shops, chocolatiers and chocolate cafés just as common as bakeries. Even the shopping strip near my home in the suburbs contains a chocolate café amongst only a…

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Federer and Uniqlo, an unlikely new brand partnership?

Things were remarkably different at Wimbledon last week when Roger Federer stepped onto centre court for his first appearance of the tournament, surprising us all by wearing new sponsor Uniqlo. Swapping his signature RF brandmark and ‘swoosh’ for the Uniqlo red squares in a lucrative…

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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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Repositioning of the Royal Brand

Repositioning the Royal brand so it remains relevant is no doubt a strategy the British Monarchy are comfortable pursuing if the recent wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and her presence in the Royal Family is any indication to go by. I was one…

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Our Agile Branding Process

Born out of the Entrepreneurial Masters Program Truly Deeply Founder; David Ansett undertook at MIT in Boston, we’ve developed our own agile approach to branding. Today’s business environment demands organisations across every category be more responsive; to changing technology, category disruption and fast changing customer…

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Level Crossings: The Easter Strategy

You might be wondering why I have chosen to write this blog, on Easter Monday of all days, about level crossings. Bear with me, there’s a point, I promise. As you can imagine the removal of level crossings is a big operation. I may be…

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Consumer activism; a powerful vehicle for change

Now more than ever consumers are turning their everyday purchases into a form of protest or demonstration of ideology to create change, sending strong signals to brands by using their purchasing choices as votes. How a brand produces and delivers its goods and who they…

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Vero – True Social. Just another social app?

First of all, lets start with this disclaimer. If you can’t be bothered to keep up with yet another social media app then there’s no need to find out more about Vero. Because that’s exactly what it is, but apparently ‘with a twist’. Vero is the…

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Truly Deeply Creative – A Timeline of our Brand Identity Projects

A Demonstration of our Credentials as Brand Identity Design Specialists It struck me recently that as a brand strategy and communications agency we’ve worked with a ton of brand identity clients over the years from an amazingly wide range of categories, and yet nowhere have…

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Tis the season – 2017 Christmas Ads

Snow, eggnog, warm log fires, presents and all that deliciously delightful food. Or like us, if you live in the Southern hemisphere; beaches, pine trees, sunscreen, BBQ’s and backyard cricket. Christmas reaches out and touches all the senses this time of year and so do…

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oBikes – when technology and good intentions meet the real world

Dockless bike sharing is an innovative and profitable new market place for tech-savvy start-ups but what happens when technology and good intentions meet the real world? The generosity of bikes appearing across cities throughout the world to help us get from A to B, improve…

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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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R U OK? Day founder used his marketing intellect for the greater good.

R U OK? Day is Australia’s first national suicide prevention day of action and was founded in 2009 by a highly successful advertising executive, Gavin Larkin who was inspired to start the campaign as a personal project to honour his father, who took his own…

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Kudos to Illustrators

With the steady increase in readily available free stock imagery, I often wonder about illustrators and how they are staying afloat in the growing pool of image libraries. Are illustrators being put on the back burner because stock imagery is so easily obtainable? Or is…

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Brand slogans can become a fascinating reflection of our culture

Brand slogans/taglines are an essential element of advertising; typically short their job is to encapsulate what a brand is all about. Occasionally an advertising slogan/tagline comes along with that extra something special, it jumps out of the ad and takes on a life of its…

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8 Amazing Creatives to follow on Insta

I’m sure we have all been there, sitting in front of the computer hoping for some divine creative inspiration to get the design juices flowing. You have trawled through your normal go-to inspiration sites but came up empty. You have made plenty of excuses to…

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