Monday, April 9, 2012

Branding

When you think of a product, what do you visualize? Is it a name, a picture, a logo or graphic element? Today we call it "branding." We found this wooden crate for Diamond Ginger Ale outside an old hardware store in Woodbury, CT. It was a product that the Diamond Bottling Company began selling in the 1860s. It's distinctive branding lasted more than a century before the company went out of business, but there is no doubt about the significance of Diamond Ginger Ale as an all purpose family beverage, sort of a carbonated cure-all. It didn't need television or radio; its unique branding was enough.

There are a few television commercials that I find so annoying, that I would never consider their products because I associate the annoying sounds and visual images with the product they are promoting. In other words, it has become part of their branding. I guess I'm just not drawn to babies in cribs with adult voices convincing me to buy investment products, full insurance coverage pitched by people in white suits, or a Dennis Kucinich look-a-like sliding down a drainpipe holding a bottle of vegetable juice. And how about an animal with an Australian accent or mischievous, talking bullfrogs?

I worked for a designer many years ago who always reminded me that, "Simplicity is the essence of design." I think it especially applies to the rapid-response culture in which we all operate today as we are constantly exposed to so many messages and so much branding. Keep it simple, keep it unique, on-message, consistent, and timeless. Who knows, maybe it will become a classic like Diamond Ginger Ale.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Easter

Easter, the last and most significant day of Holy Week for Christians all over the world. It began with the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem for a week of celebration only to end with His crucifixion, burial and finally His resurrection from the dead. To some He was a significant person in history, but to believers, He is the source of salvation, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life.

Many celebrate the week by actually walking the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, often stopping at the twelve places that Jesus stopped as He carried the cross to Golgotha. Churches set up similar prayer stations to help people visualize the experience. Occasionally, we will hear about men who will actually let themselves be nailed to a cross in a similar fashion to relive the experience. For some, Easter is the one day out of the year that they actually go to church.

Some people use the occasion to celebrate the dawning of spring and new growth after a long cold winter. We deck ourselves out in new clothes, we have Easter egg hunts, fill baskets with candy and chocolate rabbits. Some cities have parades and other festivities to mark the day, and of course, retailers are quick to jump at the opportunity to commemorate it with a sale.

But no matter how people celebrate or remember, no one has been able to duplicate His death, burial, and resurrection. It only happened once, but that's all that we needed. Unlike these baskets that go on a shelf until next Easter, our relationship with Jesus Christ lives on. It's not something to be celebrated once a year, but something to be lived every day.