The age of the static brand is coming to an end.

chrischris
edited June 2007 in conversations
“It’s official. The age of the static brand is coming to an end. Organisations, companies, institutions, even charities are realizing that having identity schemes that ‘flex’ and adapt to circumstances are more appropriate in the multi-channel, multi-lingual world that brands now inhabit.

Over-controlled brands are starting to look stiff and old-fashioned, but not all clients (and certainly not all design companies) have yet woken up to this latest shift.

It’s not as though we didn’t have any warning. As long ago as the 70s, this fantastic scheme for Boston’s WGBH TV was developed, where the channel’s numeral keeps modulating for different stings.
jason banks' thought for the week

i'd have to agree, and there's some nice imagery that he's collated to illustrate it too :)

Comments

  • squapplesquapple
    edited 2:02AM
    Agreed. Good read as well Chris. Cheers.

    I'm actually working on a brand at the moment which the marketing dept chose two similar ideas for. They asked whether we could use the two throughout the branding. One is an acronym. Both of which have a distinct red tick which causes a problem combining the two together (overkill) so I think I will try to use the 'full' logo as a branded service message and the acronym version as the main logo. I would have to always include the two on every document / poster etc. so people will know what it is.

    I cant post images yet until the project is off the ground.
  • chrischris
    edited 2:02AM
    yeah, the E4 stings, bbc2's idents and loads of other things come to mind. hell - the economist is another example. there is definitely a lean to 'identity' over a strict single image. no one likes to be pigeon holed :D
  • jargojargo
    edited June 2007
    Ahh, branding please take me back. All is forgiven, my fling with advertising meant nothing.
  • urbansurgeonurbansurgeon
    edited 2:02AM
    there's a distinction that he doesnt make that i think is missing in his analysis. while it is true there is more freedome than before, many of his citations are allowed flexibility SPECIFICALy because the existing brand and/or log is incredibly well known.

    as such the example of MORE TH>N is different than Target allowing their logo to be used in different ways.

    The cleverness in the newer adaptaions (and this is where i agree MORE TH>N is clever is the fact that logos/brands need to be designed fromt he get go with something so distinctive it can survive the murdering at the hands of a torn up design guide.

    its not a disagreement with his polemic but i do think there is a difference between some and the dropping of NIKE and leaving the swoosh
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