Yes, that’s right we haven’t misspelt the word ‘Branding’ we mean ‘Blanding’! So what is ‘Blanding’? It’s the rise of ‘bland’ and ‘samey looking’ brands. We believe over the past decade brands have lacked ‘flavour’ they all seem to blend into one mushy stew and we’re now craving distinct and unique flavours. Before we dive into this, just know that these are all opinions, there’s no right or wrong, this is Notepad’s take on all things branding or should we say ‘Blanding’!
So where has the flavour of creativity gone? It seems like what’s now applauded and aspirational in our industry is looking and sounding the same. Brands have lost their unique personalities and end up mirroring each other.
Paired back doesn’t always mean ‘premium’
In a world where sleek and simple are often seen as ‘better’. When it comes to brands it’s clear to see lots of brands opt for a simplified and sleek look, stripping away at colour, logos and fonts to blend into one homogeneous heap of sleek sans-serifs brands.
Kicking off with tech giant Google is our first example of the sans-serif-sizing of logo fonts.
Google has always had a friendly and approachable style. Google’s newest minimal and simple brand identity kept the brands signature colours but got rid of its serif font. Previous Google logos included both serifs and shadows, the 2015 rebrand introduced a flat sans-serif font which the company ditched for Product Sans. The Google logo always goes through extensive testing for maximum legibility as they need to be accessible around the world.
But Google wasn’t the only tech company to simplify its logo font in the 2010s. In 2014, Airbnb ditched its multi-coloured quirky bubble letters and rebranded using a monochrome lowercase sans-serif paired with its well-known symbolic logo. And in 2017 Pinterest ditched its handwritten script font in favour of a much blockier sans-serif.
Moving away from tech and into high fashion, the YSL rebrand got us questioning why would one of the most well-known and respected couture houses put its brand equity at risk? What would removing the founder’s first name accomplish and why?
Hedi Slimane dropped the Yves from Yves Saint Laurent in 2012 and the fashion world disagreed. They accused Slimane of straying away from the Yves Saint Laurent heritage, with YSL announcing they were “restoring the house to its truth, purity and essence and taking it to a new era while respecting the original principles and ideals”.
Adding the word “Paris” may have slightly compromised their status by heavy-handedly pointing out their flagship location. “Saint Laurent Paris” implies a less sophisticated audience. But the confusing thing was that the full Yves Saint Laurent name will continue to be used for “institutional purposes”. What?
But there’s reason behind the madness and Saint Laurent has in fact doubled its sales revenue since Slimane took over. And the transition from a bold and highly recognisable logo, to a more understated brand, has been an integral aspect of Saint Laurent’s current success. It shows their in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current luxury industry trends. And the fact is that consumers are increasingly turning away from heavily branded luxury products and favouring more discreet and minimalist looks, at least that’s the audience YSL are chasing.
But some people saw the rebrand as a case of poor judgement…
Sara Rotman, founder of MODCo Creative, an agency specialising in brand development for luxury, apparel and fashion companies says “With a company that already has such a strong brand in place, the potential risks of such a shift greatly outweigh the benefits. Alienating YSL’s current core customer is a clear risk. I recommend saving changes like this for companies that have fallen into obscurity or disrepair or are wavering in the minds of consumers,” which is not the case at YSL.
Not everyone agrees…
Mary Ellen Muckerman, Head of Strategy at Wolff Olins, a global branding consultancy said “From a branding perspective, I don’t believe there is a downside to Slimane’s decision. The new name signals that change is ahead at Yves Saint Laurent and it provides a platform for the brand to communicate their new vision to followers,” she continued. “It also enables them to reinforce core values at the essence of the brand — citing youth, freedom and modernity from the 1966 Saint Laurent Rive Gauche line as inspiration for the change. Yves Saint Laurent has done well to communicate their rationale for the change and the historical precedent it draws from.”
Conclusion
We believe the purpose of brand identity is to differentiate your brand from others in the market, make you recognisable to your key audiences and shape how people perceive you.
An identity should be a reflection of the business, the brand strategy and the direction it’s looking to go in. Hopefully, it represents your brand personality and some of your values in a way that resonates with others and captures their attention.
Do we miss the original YSL name and logo, yes! But we do accept that there’s been a huge shift from maximalism to minimalism but there will be many shifts in the years to come. Consumer habits and preferences are evolving all the time.
Customers don’t just buy a product and/or service, they buy into the feeling and emotion you provide them with. We believe that brands should take a more human approach to design, bringing their uniqueness to the forefront instead of blending in. It’s also only a matter of time until we start seeing more varied executions e.g. 3D, open GL, Web 3 – maybe even a rollback to heritage mark making too – printmaking etc. Brands are soon going to have to step up their game to keep pace with these guys because they are eclectic, exciting and energetic.
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