Welcome to Friday Fives, Vol. 295
Every Friday, we highlight five things we have on our radar that we think should be on yours, too.
This week, we’re seeing a slam dunk for women in sports, following the branding Olympics, reviewing the lost art of music reviews, listening to the sounds of advertising, and snacking on childhood imagination.
01. Girls Just Wanna Have Representation
Women athletes are changing the game–the game of representation in the marketing world, that is. With March Madness pushing for more attention on women’s NCAA basketball teams, Caitlin Clark’s inspirational State Farm commercial, and the KC Current’s new by-women, for-women soccer stadium, women are done waiting for someone else to build their brand in sports–they’re doing it themselves. With social media access and economic clout, female athletes and investors are bringing their power and personal stories to the forefront, showing a refusal to sit in the shadow of male athletes, and inspiring young girls to do the same. Through creating their own marketing, women are also creating the world they want to live in. They’re investing in themselves, and it’s paying off.
02. Branding That Goes for the Gold
The Paris 2024 Olympics brand identity says “bonjour” to both the past and the present. But how do you give a fresh take, and a French take, to a tradition as old as ancient Greece? They created a brand identity with an Art Deco typeface, people-focused imagery, and iconic emblem, all of which gives you a rush of adrenaline, as if you’re the one throwing a javelin pole. To take on the personality of the greatest sporting event in the world, they created an emblem of a woman named Marianne whose hairline is also a flame, while the whole of her head is reminiscent of a medal. Though there have been some mixed reactions, it definitely got people talking. It proves that sometimes you can reinvent the wheel, even when it’s 3,000 years old. Whether or not you plan on tuning in to the games, you certainly can’t tune out spot-on branding.
03. Raise Your Pitchfork for Music Publications
With the birth of music streaming and overflows of content, a music publication’s power over listeners has been turned down to mute. TikTok tweaks songs into 5-second sound bites and background noises of GRWMs. Not to mention, artists have an opportunity to make their own accounts to reach people and self-promote–something The Beatles couldn’t do in their era, though they are doing it now. Music reviews offered a space to reflect and take a breath. But in a world where consumer interest changes rapidly and listeners have more brand loyalty than ever, nobody wants to read a review if they know they’re going to love an album. Music publications may have to modernize if they want to survive. As Bob Dylan once said, (whose album “Blood on the Tracks” was rated a 10 by “Pitchfork,” if you were curious), “the times, they are a-changin’.”
04. All Ears on Sonic Branding
Have you heard? Successful sound design within your branding world is just as important as your visuals. In an almost entirely sound-on world, sonic branding can be the key to creating a palpable brand identity, and making people reach for a tissue (whether from laughter or sadness). Music can create a harmony of emotions, and that’s why it is so important not to let your sound go to waste. Sure, Netflix’s “ta dum” is iconic–but we’re talking “whole picture,” and consistency is resoundingly important. Think of every sound as forming the song that is your brand. Then, you can really hit all the right notes with consumers. There’s a reason why we remember the exact phone number of Empire Today Carpets.
05. K.I. Kicks A.I. to the Curb
Lunchables is celebrating K.I. (Kid Intelligence) in their new campaign. They’re asking kids to submit food-inspired art that truly shows the limitlessness of their imagination–imagination that surely beats out A.I. The best part? The winner gets a trip to their headquarters to join “imagination sessions” where they can create social media content for the brand. For a snack brand that caters directly to children, it makes sense to cater their campaigns to children as well, and get them directly involved. And with A.I. becoming a possible threat to real-life creations, Lunchables proves that we don’t need it to be creative. Because, let’s be honest, only a child could think up a mozzarella stick bunny.
Clients in the News
Sanzo
We’re buzzing about BevNET’s interview with Sandro Roco, CEO of our favorite sparkling water Sanzo. Hear about their brand evolution and what’s to come for the Asian fruit-inspired drink.
Haven’s Kitchen
Plus, Haven’s Kitchen got a spotlight for their squeezable sauce pouches in ModernRetail’s article about the popularity of condiments.
