Posts Tagged ‘Branding’
Polariod – a lesson in being true
Neil Shewan | 3.08.2010
I was captured by this video today. It is a film to promote the 1970’s Polaroid camera. It sells the need, the process and the vision for the product and company.
Polariod describe the process through beautiful filmwork clearly explaining the technology, design and emotional links. The camera was so revolutionary in its thinking.
It reminds me of how Apple sells its messages today. They are authentic to a vision and talk about the emotional and functional benefits clearly and in human terms. Polariod was the Apple of the 70’s.
Polariod declaired bankruptsy last year and have recently relaunched with a new vision.
It made me think about where they went wrong. How a brand so true to instant photography, missed the move into digital photography. After all, digital photography shares the same vision of closing the gap between photographer and subject of the 70’s Polariod. If they followed their vision they would have been pioneers in digital instead of being so linked to the technology of their film and camera.
Being authentic is about being true to a vision or idea. It is important that the vision transcends technology to stand the test of time.
Categories | Tank
Salvos appeal
Richard Foster | 17.06.2010
It’s not often that I’m stopped in my tracks by direct mail.
Flicking through the usual clutter the other day, I came across what appeared to be a handwritten note on a plain envelope signed by Christopher. It made me look twice because it looked so real, not just the writing itself but how it was written. There was no stamp, no branding, just the handwriting. It forced me to open the envelope.
On opening the envelope you discover that the handwriting is a copy of an actual letter sent by 7 year old Christopher to a Salvation Army Crisis Centre – part of their 2010 Red Shield Appeal campaign. At
a time when charities are fighting more than ever to be heard, and looking at new ways to stand out, this piece certainly made an impression on me. Why?
It was honest. It was powerful. It was original. And it was controversial. It made me feel slightly uncomfortable, and going by what I’ve read on the Salvos website, it’s clear other people had a similar response. But I don’t think in this case that’s a bad thing. It made me think, and made the issues facing the Salvos real. Isn’t this what every charity is trying to achieve? To elicit a response.
For some, the fact that they used the hook of Christopher’s letter could detract from the power of the communication – it didn’t for me. It compelled me to read about Christopher and understand his story behind the letter. How he was in fact given a job by the crisis centre to provide some pocket money and respect. How the issue of domestic violence can effect a family.
Most importantly, it compelled me to donate to the appeal. When many charity requests go into the bin, this one didn’t.
Tags | Branding, direct mail, Graphic design, salvation army
Categories | Advertising, Graphic design, Inspirational, Tank
Some of the books, mags and websites that keep us inspired
chrisevans | 20.05.2010
BOOKS:
How To Be a Graphic Designer, Without Losing Your Soul Adrian Shaughnessy
No Logo Naomi Klein
It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be Paul Arden
On Brand Wally Olins
Profile Pentagram
Life Style Bruce Mau
Soak, Wash, Rinse, Spin Tolesson Design
Ogilvy on Advertising David Ogilvy
MAGS:
IdN International designers’ Network
Australian Creative
Creative Review
Desktop
Grafik The Magazine for Graphic Design
Eye The International Review of Graphic Design
Monocle
Inside
SITES:
Tags | Advertising, blog, Branding, creative, design, Graphic design, graphicdesign, inspiration, Inspirational, reading, website
Categories | Advertising, Branding, Digital, Found, Graphic design, Illustration, Inspirational, Video
What is a brand?
Neil Shewan | 22.04.2010
A brand is the positioning of a service, product, individual or place in person’s mind.
A brand can provide a range of benefits – including emotional, functional, physical, experiential and self-expressive.
There are three parts to a brand: The brand promise (what we promise to customers through visuals, words and action), the brand experience (the sum total of all the interactions a customer has with us), and the resultant brand perception (how the customer differentiates and positions the brand in their mind).
The meaning of “brand” has evolved over time to become broader and more holistic in approach. A brand is an organisation-wide responsibility – including communications, marketing, sales, operations, production, finance, human resources and administration.
We can control the brand promise and many parts of the brand experience. The measure of success, however, is always in the hands of the customer and the brand perceptions they develop over time.
High performing brands rely on differentiation from their competitors. They must be remarkable in order to be noticed and sustain the continued loyalty of their customers. Consumers have also become savvy in the way they measure, rate and compare brands.
To be remarkable brands must be authentic, confident, aligned, involving, memorable, creative, human, relevant, evolving and responsible.
A brand is not communicated – it is experienced. A remarkable brand is not bought, it is earned.
Categories | Tank
Calling all designers – the world needs you
Richard Foster | 23.02.2010
Having attended the ICSID conference in Singapore late last year, ‘Designing our world 2050’, one theme kept surfacing in each presentation and discussion – the critical role design and designers will play as we head towards the challenges of the next 40 years.
As studios from around the globe presented their concept solutions to issues ranging from urban sprawl to healthcare to personal mobility, I found it both daunting and inspiring. Daunting to face up to the significant challenges of the future (over population, climate change, scarcity of resources), but inspiring to think how design can respond and offer a way forward.
But why design? It’s the quest for that big idea; the one common truth that drives every designer – be it an industrial designer, architect, futurist or branding expert. That idea that will transform peoples thinking and lives. That idea that proves ‘impossible is nothing’. That idea that drives positive change.
The thrill of an idea is that you don’t know where it will take you. Consider these 2050 possibilities imagined at the conference:
_ multi-level industrial agri-villages where people and agriculture co-exist to reduce the urban footprint and create fully sustainable living developments
_ the body becomes part of the resource solution, creating its own electricity through re-engineering our biology
_ a personalised care model takes a holistic plan for responding to the health needs of each individual; mapping out the social, educational and genetic signposts throughout a person’s lifespan in order to act before issues arise
_ a car becomes a resource to be shared where parts such as wheels and engines can be utilised by others and take on a life of their own
_ film posters become interactive devices, allowing trailers to be tailored to suit the viewing audience, people to buy tickets and change their seating, or even have films sent directly to home entertainment systems
What is clear is that the world will need new thought. For design to lead the charge, it needs to be considered as part of the general education landscape. It has gone beyond having a finite scope, taught in a 3-year degree. It needs to be integrated into all aspects of education. Design, or ‘imagineering’, inspires thought, creativity, action. It does not need to be confined to a specialist activity. These are traits everyone can posses and develop.
In the next 40 years we will face challenges and opportunities unlike any seen before. Events such as Singapore 2050 don’t seek to offer the ultimate solution, but serve to inspire ideas and collaboration. It will be fascinating to see where this thinking takes us.
Tags | Branding, Inspirational
Categories | Tank