Tag: branding

World Cup De-Branding

I have never been a soccer person, so this year's World Cup has not registered much on me beyond seeing an unusual number of foreign national team soccer jerseys on some days (despite the best efforts of the New York City and State governments to pretend that it is taking place in New York and...

Testing the new pckt

Seems very nice up to now. The moon

The Sound of Silence: How the World's Electric Cars Learned to Speak

Electric vehicles are nearly silent at low speed, a hidden hazard for pedestrians and the visually impaired. Regulators responded with a mandate: make the car audible. This is AVAS: how it works, where it's required, and how carmakers turned compliance into a creative exercise.

The Atmosphere needs a front door

The Atmosphere needs a distinct brand identify, better tools for builders, a new UX for users, and a small empowered group willing to build it all.

SocialSync Branding

The Chunky Guys cap: a brief history

How a small run of baseball caps became a minor legend, and why we're finally opening a shop.

The Curation Comeback: Why Human Taste Beats Algorithms Every Time

Algorithms manufacture mediocrity. As AI makes polished content cheap, authentic human taste becomes your only unfair advantage.

Your Story Is Probably Good Enough, Your Execution Isn't

Most brands already have a compelling story. The gap between modest and exceptional video ROI comes down to production execution and craftsmanship.

Let The Fans Have It

A YouTuber makes an interesting pitch for the legendary Commodore brand: Instead of letting it die on the vine, make the brand accessible to the community for cheap.

Tic-Tac-D’Oh

Dell decides to rebrand its machines along a 3x3 grid—and ditches a number of popular product lines along the way. (Was it worth it?)

Re: Europe's future – eu/acc

The EU needs a clear vision for the future, focusing on sustainability and quality of life, rather than just growth and GDP.

Historic Atlanta Neighborhood Brand

A multi-year collaborative co-design project with the Historic Hunter Hills Neighborhood Association

No Hiding These Logos

How Intel turned the PC industry into its collective co-op marketing partner through a strong sticker game, an idea Microsoft used to push Windows sales.

Renamin’ Cajuns

How a somewhat obscure Louisiana university got a gradual name upgrade in the eyes of state law—and of college football (of course).

Thirsty? Oh Yeah!

Kool-Aid is a delicious drink with a fascinating story that extends beyond branding. Here’s how the powdered drink mix (and its mascot) came to define drinks.

Hydrogenated Marketing

How Crisco, which avoided naming its primary ingredient in ads, toppled lard more than a century ago—and made Americans believers in industrial food.

Feelin’ 7UP

The marketing history of America’s favorite lemon-lime soda, 7UP, proves that sometimes reality is stranger than fiction.

Giving Candy A Bad Name

The surprisingly true story of Ayds, a diet suppressant candy that was incredibly successful until its name became forever associated with something else.

The Ballad of Yo! Noid

In the '80s and '90s, advertisers got the idea to market products to kids through video games. The games aren't half-bad (mostly), but they're still ads.

The Many Lives of Packard Bell

When it was a radio-maker, Packard Bell had a reputation for quality products. When a PC clone startup bought the name, that reputation fell apart—fast.

America The Processed

One of the broadest possible geographic terms is, for now, the new name of Budweiser. Does Budweiser deserve \"America,\" and if not, what does?

Generic Internet Article

Private labels are a common strategy retailers use to keep profits in house, but fortunately for everyone, house brands are a lot less boring these days.

The Invention Of News

The field of public relations is still built on a single foundational tool—the press release. Why do we still use them? Well, for the companies, they work.

Forget Rand Paul, Let's Talk Paul Rand

Paul Rand, the graphic designer, has a Rand Paul problem: The headline-chewing politician is hiding the famed designer's legacy on Google. Here's why.

Don't Mess With The Michelin Man

How did a tire manufacturer create an essential restaurant guide? And what other unusual side businesses do brand-name companies have? We investigate.

Brand bastardizations

Sometimes, companies do things that go against our expectations of their brand. Often, the result can be awful. Check out these examples of brand weirdness.

The brands I care about are all yelling at me

Update: If you enjoyed this article, you should vote for this SXSW 2013 panel. It should be a thought-provoking conversation. Skype, a few weeks ago: "You should think of Conversation Ads as a way for Skype to generate fun interactivity between your circle of friends and family and the brands you care about. Ultimately, we believe this will help make Skype a more engaging and useful place to have your conversations each and every day." The brands I care about. Brands that I care about. Brand

Please, keep it simple

I really feel like Microsoft turned a corner a few years ago, and I've been impressed with their decision-making for a while. Windows Phone? Pretty neat, actually. "Authentically digital" interfaces? A thousand times yes. Simplified Windows 8 branding? Completely agree. Their decision to simplify their application line-up is another smart move. Your Windows Live ID is now just your Microsoft account; Windows Live Mail is just Mail; Zune Music Player is just Music. And so on. Just as they're re