Licensed lifestyle properties
are exciting to work with. Kids’ brands, entertainment and sports brands geared
to a range of demographics truly represent lifestyle choices. They also present
unique challenges. When developing a visual creative strategy and style guide,
a significant question arises. Many consumer product categories do not have
much trade dress or packaging, so how can the unique brand assets of the
licensed property be leveraged to elevate the brand and make it stand out from
everything else?
Recent projects involving the
development of creative strategies for important
kids’ and entertainment brands led to deeper thinking on this issue. The usual
research involves studying the characteristics of the brand, the target
demographic and current trends in the marketplace. While important, given the
implications of a fast-changing consumer culture, the usual pre-design research
process alone doesn’t ensure development of a consistent, “ownable” creative strategy for the brand.
When the underpinning creative
strategy and design assets start getting tired or stale, licensees tend to ad
lib freely with licensed properties, leading to brand dilution. This issue has
to be overcome and these pitfalls must be avoided. A sound creative strategy should support a licensed property
regardless of changing trends and tastes. Regardless of wide-ranging categories
of consumer products that will bear the license.
We knew we had to dig deeper.
By deconstructing some of the world’s most successful brands, licensed or not,
it became apparent that an ownable “visual hook” has to be created for every
licensed property. This hook is inherent in the property itself and easily
distinguishes the brand from all others. By deconstructing the licensed brand, it becomes easier to understand the elements
and cues that can be expertly, consistently leveraged. A creative strategy that
can be consistently maintained and enforced, yet remain incredibly flexible for
the licensed property.
Based on this concept,
specific goals for a creative strategy can be developed to:
- ensure that all products bearing the license are immediately
identifiable as that one unique brand among the myriad of competitive brands vying
for consumer attention.
- transcend trends, rather
than being based on one particular trend.
- be able to accommodate any
trend, while maintaining its own creative aesthetic.
- work across all lifestyle
consumer product categories that appeal to the specific demographic(s) the
brand reaches.
Ultimately, this enables the
development of an ownable creative strategy for the licensed brand that can be
stretched in limitless ways without diluting the property’s brand essence in
the slightest. It constantly adapts to evolving customer tastes and trends.
Yet, it retains all of the brand’s core visual attributes while consistently
employing a key icon – one that is continuously leveraged in many ways to
reinforce the licensed property.
Using the brand DNA to establish an icon.
The paw print has always been
part of the Littlest Pet Shop’s brand heritage, but it was always interpreted in a literal
manner. By making the paw print conceptual, we showed how it could be
integrated into all of the visual assets within the brand's lifestyle licensing program. In this particular case, the paw print design
and proportions have been standardized. It is comprised of three oval “toes”
and a large oval “pad”. It can be rotated, distorted in shape or modified with
additional graphics, but it must always maintain the proportions dictated in
the style guide. The paw print can be used overtly or subliminally. It can be
an integral part of an overall design. Or it can be used as an accent or
signature.
As part of the brand’s new
DNA, the paw print must be present in all licensing applications. Kids and
parents will be surprised and delighted by the many clever representations of
the signature paw print – in patterns, badges, as part of illustrations, as
symbols, or as punctuation. They’ll actively seek it out. The beauty of this
visual hook: it remains fresh, relevant but consistent and true to the brand.
One of America’s favorite entertainment
properties, and Marvel’s famous spokeshero, Spider-Man, has a terrific visual
hook: his web. Spidey’s web is incorporated into almost every visual asset
associated with the character’s many licensing programs, so it is an
ever-present, iconic representation of the character. A great aspect of this
visual hook is that the web itself is open to many stylistic interpretations,
so it’s flexible. We’ve incorporated it into patterns and borders; even
embossed it into the thermoform component of toy packaging. To us, the web is
part of Spidey’s actual DNA!
Another powerful icon is
Harley-Davidson’s eagle. Symbolic of this brand of motorcycles and no other,
the eagle represents America, freedom and the lure of the open road. This is a
true visual hook for the brand; it’s ownable and, whether it is consistently
used in every piece of visual communication or not, it is still prevalent in
association with the Harley-Davidson brand mark. Whether a full image of the
eagle is utilized as imagery or simply the outstretched wings in a symmetrical
manner, this icon says “Harley-Davidson”. What I like most about this icon is
how Harley-Davidson consciously chose not to standardize its visual
interpretation. This approach adds diversity to the licensing program and
stylistic individualism to every piece of art.
Creating an ownable creative
strategy and visual hook embedded in the code of the brand DNA enables licensed
properties to become adaptable, timeless and transcend pop culture trends of
the moment on merchandise and on packaging. It allows for design freedom so
it’s not stuffy or confining, yet, it reinforces the unique visual attributes
of the licensed brand.
So think in terms of establishing
an iconic visual hook that will completely differentiate the licensed brand within
the retail context. Reinforce it with a style guide that allows for latitude.
And succeed in making it exciting for consumers to actually seek out these
licensed consumer products in their favorite categories.
