Random Access Memories Unboxed...

Hi guys I'm back! Two days late due to technical difficulties.

Today I'd like to share with you a brief visual history of Daft Punk in honour of the release of their new album Random Access Memories.  [Fun Fact: Their brand mark was actually designed by one half of the duo Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo...yep that's his real name!].

This cool little infographic can be found here


I love how they take their image and tweak it slightly every time to keep it looking fresh and interesting. I'm especially feeling the fact that their latest costumes were designed by Yves St.Laurent!

From a Design perspective, this identity has everything in it that I love. It's responsive, current, inherently cool and bold with it. I like that they're happy to play with it every time as their music grows. Overall, a solid effort. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't buy the Special Edition Tron Legacy Vinyl when it was released...it's so pretty! But if anyone wants to pay £1000 for it on eBay for me then please feel free [It's my birthday in two weeks...wink wink nudge nudge].

I'm going to leave you with the awesome teaser trailer for the album. I so enjoyed watching this when it was aired last week, it's not often an ad for an album inspires so much excitement! The release felt like such an event!

See you next week!

Svea xo

Be exclusionary at your peril....

I was looking through YouTube this weekend and I stumbled across this viral video that has taken off in the last few days. You may have seen it already but it's a really interesting look on how if you make a brand exclusionary, you may face a bit of a public backlash.

Abercrombie & Fitch have a very extreme policy of not stocking any size above a medium, so that way only perceived 'hot' people are seen wearing their products and clothing. They advertise only using the most beautiful people and present an public image of cool, but one man Greg Karber took it among himself to change that perception.



This video gained so much momentum on YouTube and Facebook that the CEO had to respond by saying:

'While I believe this 7 year old, resurrected quote has been taken out of context, I sincerely regret that my choice of words was interpreted in a manner that has caused offense. A&F is an aspirational brand that, like most specialty apparel brands, targets its marketing at a particular segment of customers. However, we care about the broader communities in which we operate and are strongly committed to diversity and inclusion. “

Like any respectable brand, A&F has a clear position and has a definite target audience. But excluding sections of society can leave you open to ridicule as seen in this video.

So see this as a warning, if you want to exclude the general public, you can face a very public backlash that could leave you a little red faced.

James x

A Day at the Library...

Today we checked out the new Liverpool Central Library! We had a great afternoon exploring the new library and getting to grips with the archives. We even managed to get print outs of the Newspapers on the day we were born!




Have a great weekend!

Svea & James xo

Red Bull, taking social media by the horns.

I spoke on Monday about my love for Red Bull on Facebook and Twitter, so today I'm here to talk about how a video can change the whole perception of a brand.

YouTube

Remember those annoying hand drawn ads about how Red Bull 'Gives You Wings'? Even though this is a strong and memorable slogan encompassing all the drink stands for, the video content didn't do much for the cause.

But after a long time sponsoring extreme sports events, athletes, and focussing on taking the brand to it's limits, Red Bull can now make visually stunning and jaw dropping content that has around 2 million hits and is 1:01 minutes of awesome. Just take a watch




Implementing a long term strategy and benefiting from taking risks on these niche markets to create an image that Red Bull is a lifestyle not a drink is why I love Red Bull. It has totally re-invented itself and I think will be pushing itself even further over the next 12 months with more amazing content.

Instagram

Red Bull teamed up with We Are Social to bring a clever instagram campaign to trial a new flavoured energy drink. People would upload their photos using three filters red, silver or blue and would use the relevant hashtag #rededitionplease, #silvereditionplease or #blueditionplease and include @redbulluk. Just by giving away a free sample of the drink user's would create great visuals to help with the brand message, now these images are getting used on billboards throughout the UK


Keeping the message simple
Choose one central message that ties the brands' online and offline efforts. Red Bull keeps its' messaging simple with its' 'Gives You Wings' tagline. Other brands should do the same – after all, consumers are bombarded with messages all day long. Keep yours top of the shop by making it simple and easy to remember and relate to.

Utilise the company’s strengths
A brand always play to its strengths by utilising resources or connections its company already has. Red Bull, for example, uses the recommendations of its athletes to choose the videos it posts. This insider’s perspective is definitely not lost on fans.

Give audience what they want
Always keep an eye on what is resonating with your target market and use that information to your advantage. Every engagement tactic deserves some play time, but focus resources on the ones that really resonates with your audience.

'Til the next time, James x

The Importance of Strong Brand Imagery.

In this designers opinion, one of the foundations for building a strong brand is to ensure consistently strong imagery that represents your brand aesthetic. 
Often, the imagery is the first element of your brand that potential patrons will come into contact with, and so should deliver a clear, consistent message every time. 
Today I wanted to demonstrate this using two brands that hit the button every time for me. I've chosen to show you Zara and H&M, partly because I love their stuff, but also because these are two brands that I feel I can count on to deliver high quality images that capture the essence of the brand and always tell the same story. 
So first, Zara.