Brand(s) on Fleek: August

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it…every week actually… but you just cannot put a price on some good branding. Well, technically that’s not entirely true as a healthy marketing budget is pretty essential in developing a strong brand, but good ideas, great design and appropriate execution don’t always have to break the branding-bank.

Every week here at Pistachio we like to share our top ‘Brand on Fleek’ favourites on social media from big organisations who we think have really nailed a creative campaign. No, this isn’t just to get you to gawp and bemoan the fact that some of these businesses likely have humungous advertising budgets, it’s to inspire ingenuity and creativity amongst our clients and colleagues so that we’re all fired up for that next bright idea.

Below, we’ve rounded up our best picks of August, what caught our eye about them and why…

One for the girly-girls, Kate Spade’s recent re-brand is a pink explosion that sparked our beady little design eyes. It’s not a huge change from the design houses’ original branding but it certainly feels like a subtle and classy evolution of the original.

What we especially love is the use of the new spade design as a stand-alone icon. It does very well to look unique and not like something you would see in a generic deck of cards. The real pièce de résistance however is the way the spade magically transforms into a heart when flipped, giving it versatility across branding, print and jewellery design.

Check out the full rebrand here

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of some of Nike’s communications initiatives (in fact they even made last month’s top-picks) and once again we cannot get enough of this expertly crafted video advertisement for the brands ‘You Can’t Stop Us’ campaign.

Focusing on the idea that sport unites us, the brand have focused on the notion that despite the restrictions of Covid-19; “we will always come back stronger, together.” We just LOVE that sentiment.

Not only do we like the clever and visually mesmerising use of video editing, heavily focusing on a complete variety of sporting heroes, from all backgrounds and abilities, but also the powerful messaging that overlays it. Again, Nike has struck a potently emotive tone with a simple yet strong advertisement.

The next brand that’s captured our attention is the Dyson Airwrap. Brought to us first hand by our Director Marie, we’re impressed that not only is the product itself an expert feat of sleek and compact engineering – the packaging design has incredible attention to detail that makes the whole consumer experience a real pleasure to experience.

We especially like the small touches that have been incorporated, like the intricate cardboard engineering designed to carefully hold the attachments in place and the tactile nature of the overall product – the Pistachio team agree that it is very well designed for the space it uses. Bravo to Dyson Airwrap!

Simple, yet effective, next up is this clever advertisement of IWC’s Big Pilot’s Watch.

The brand opted to design creative on hanging straps in buses, so that anybody who wishes to can easily try on the Big Pilot’s Watch, whilst they’re on the go. Pretty cool, right? Now, we wonder what else this could work with…

Check out the adverts here

Our next brand that has been particularly fleeky is a very poignant one, and might not be to everyone’s taste. However, we’re enthralled by the powerful concept of Bodyform’s latest digital advert – #wombstories.

From a design perspective, we think that the heady mix of creative and eccentric animation, combined with highly emotive video clips and editing is well worth the watch and helps to communicate a complex (and often glossed-over) topic.

Please be warned that Bodyform have issued a trigger warning for this video as it includes images of needles and portrayal of baby loss.

Not every creative campaign or marketing initiative is easy to communicate and resonate with customers, which is why businesses must ensure that their creative team is truly up to scratch. Shirking the ‘play it safe’ card and being bold enough to go straight to the heart of their target audience, rather than treading on eggshells around those who might feel uncomfortable, Bodyform have not just delivered an advert but an empowering online movement.

Lacoste’s endangered-species marketing initiative is now a few years into its maturity, but it is one that is still super relevant for the current climate. In 2018 The brand adopted a suite of temporary logos that displayed a range of animals facing extinction. These new logos replaced the iconic crocodile that sits above the left breast of the shirt.

We love the ingenuity employed on this ethically focused campaign, plus the slick and clean looking creative that was produced as a result. Combining marketing campaigns with charitable causes is vitally important, both for a brands identity and to give much needed awareness to important issues. And when a fashion heavy-hitter like Lacoste gets involved, it only heightens a sense of customer loyalty for a brand who is seen to be actively championing a worthy cause.

See the campaign in action here

Finally, we couldn’t let this month slip by without commenting on the ever en-point marketing efforts of KFC.

Deciding to temporarily suspend its Finger Lickin’ Good slogan after 64 years because it “doesn’t quite fit” with Covi-19’s hygiene messaging is a stroke of marketing genius – and we’re really here for it.

The popular US fried chicken chain has released new advertising posters and packaging with the slogan blurred and pixelated. In design terms it’s simple, almost too basic, but it’s the audacity and humility that really make this campaign work. Re-adjusting your branding to better fit the current pandemic is no mean feat, but doing so with a bit of candour and humour has worked particularly well for the Colonel this time around.

Thanks for tuning in to this month’s ‘Brand on Fleek’ we’ll be sure to revisit this topic next month when some worthy creative catches our eye. If you’ve seen anything in the big-wide-world of brands that you think deserves some design recognition then please let us know by commenting on this post across our social media channels -we’d love to hear what inspires you.

Additionally, if you’re in need of some branding support for your business, do not hesitate to get in touch with us, we’d love to have a chat about how we can help bring your ideas to life!

Thanks for reading!