JKR

Supermarket own label offerings are increasingly being seen as “true brands” in their own right (with essential Waitrose leading the charge). Nevertheless, the passing off approach of imitating lead brand’s equities shows no signs of stopping. M&S were getting flak just last week for the structural similarities between their own vitamin water and the one spending a fortune promoting its distinctively branded bottle.

I hear that one – ahem – discount supermarket has a specific process to avoid litigation: copy the leader, but design in seven points of difference. So that in front of m’learned friend the colour, typography, shape, etc. can each be shown to differ from the source material (although the end result still looks close enough to trigger the desired associations in consumer’s minds). This will avoid the serious transgression of trademark infringement (though an obvious intention to design a pass-off can still be censured).

With this information, brand managers could, of course, follow a counter strategy where their own seven ingredients are all so distinctive in their own right that they baffle the copycats’ attempts to emulate them. I think this is the wrong answer. If you have seven elements that you believe constitute your equities, it’s about four too many. Because seven ingredients make a fairly complex soup, one which can be easily imitated not to the letter, but to the same broad recipe – voilà a successful passing off. If, on the other hand, you limit yourself to a simpler design (say Coke Classic’s flat red, script font and line), it’s much harder to produce a copycat, because the simplicity of the source material makes it more distinctive. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes is really hard to copy since they got the design’s mojo back and focussed on the rooster. Try ripping off our Guinness can design, which is little more than a colour and emblem.

Being legally protectable isn’t the be all and end all (appetite appeal, relevance cues etc. will all need to be considered), but if you can boil your design down to its essentials, not only will you stand apart from the wannabes, you will also be closer to a (pardon the term) “iconic” expression of your brand.

From a design agency point of view, it’s always great to see one’s work put at the heart rather than the periphery of the communication idea. So it was with glad hearts that we saw Strongbow’s “most refreshing pint” webpage, featuring our new glass design for the brand (see below). The creative, by Lean Mean Fighting Machine, is brilliantly simple – a giant pint which slowly drains as cider drinkers click on it, taking virtual sips by hitting refresh. Their motivation – the chance to win prizes with each click. The simplicity of the idea matches the straightforward and unfussy personality of the brand – nothing too tricksy.

It’s crazy, really, that the brand in the hand (as Martin Grimer describes it) is so often ignored in comms. When the artefact and idea can be joined up the results can be very effective – as evidenced by the fact that Strongbow’s glass is now unequivocally empty, bringing the promotion to an end, a million clicks later…

All designers create work by appropriating things they admire, and the good ones convert their influences into something new. If they tell you otherwise, they are remarkable, delusional, or dishonest. In simpler, pre-internet times, there were fewer famous designers, and the pool of influential work was remarkably small. Brody at The Face, or Carson on Ray Gun did their thing and thousands followed their lead (much to the leaders’ chagrin).

But in our age of over information there are so many leaders and styles in play that it’s hard to pick out any one in particular. Business Week listed 27 designers most influential on our era. The list has some obvious choices, but some I am embarrassed to say I have never heard of. And, of course, debate then raged about why so many had failed to make the list. One can’t keep up with the endless stream of thought leadership from the stage of Ted. And where once there were a small handful of books covering the history of design to be plundered and inspired by, now if one wants to find anything no matter how obscure, it’s all there online.

All in all, the depth of choice and resources makes for a landscape richer and more diverse for plunder than ever before. But it’s hard to see the wood for the trees.

Of course, one can see this is brilliant, as it throws up more eclectic designers and fewer sheep. But movements can be good things too – individuals clustering around a few leaders, borrowing and building a style which defines an era and adds something to culture. We live in a time when it’s harder to see such movements catching fire, faced as we are with so much choice. Does this make for more spirited individuals, or blander overall results? One could argue that, say, the punk era saw more creative, independent and vibrant fashion than we get today, with everyone dressed more or less the same by the same brands, despite a tsunami of trend information posted daily.

There is no particular point to these observations, but we are operating in interesting times. Talent imitates, genius steals (as Picasso supposedly said). The influential designers of tomorrow will perhaps be those most capable of filtering all the information. Because finding the rough diamonds which can be held high for us all to admire is a skill in itself.

The wonderful image of Devon’s Racing Rams was taken by Rick Turner. I hope he does not mind me appropriating it.

The new design for the UK passport will be issued from October. When the current passport moved to a floppy burgundy cover from the previous hardback black version we presumably saved money but lost a little dignity. These designs redress that a tad, I think. The inner pages are currently a rather generic and repetitive bank note pattern. These are changing to feature complex “engravings” which celebrate our weather, landscape, flora and fauna in a bucolic Betjeman-like manner.

One can anticipate some carping that this approach is anachronistic and twee – that we should use our passport as a canvas for the most progressive design we can produce. Personally, when it comes to something which represents my national identity, I want a solidly old fashioned document rather than a shrill “Cool Britannia” alternative (or one with an image of the Gherkin).

It’s uncommon to find contemporary official documents with soul, and a joy to find ones that make an effort – the craft and care invested here is presumably a pre belt-tightening exercise, and to my eyes give us something we can proudly brandish at foreign borders. Sometimes a traditional approach is appropriate, and I think the choice of images here will do a good job of making weary travellers think of home with affection. Some half-remembered lines by Wordsworth came to mind when I saw the designs…

I travell’d among unknown men,
In lands beyond the sea;
Nor, England! did I know till then
What love I bore to thee.

‘Tis past, that melancholy dream!
Nor will I quit thy shore
A second time; for still I seem
To love thee more and more.

This story and images via the Creative Review blog (which interestingly saw something prog rock in the blue cottages etc.)

POPSOP’s overview of brand initiatives offers a good thermometer to take the temperature of what’s hot and not in brand trends and their PR initiatives. There has been a real influx in the last couple of days (from health to exercise to homelessness and helping the oil spill in the Gulf) .

The Schweppes Schwim free campaign facilitates the training of 120 new swimming teachers and coaches as part of its commitment to get people active on the road to 2012.

Quaker USA healthier lifestyles announces a new direction focusing on products and programs to help people lead healthier lifestyles.

Coca-Cola Behind the Lens Youth Filmmaking is a national online competition empowering 13-19 year-old amateur filmmakers to demonstrate their creativity.

Coors Light – giving back to the Gulf – Their “Pass the Pint” initiative is one of two programs Coors Light is currently involved with since the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill.

Kraft Food – Huddle to fight hunger is Krafts largest branded initiative ever to fight hunger in America.

etc.etc.

Companies are wanting to be seen proactively supporting and developing new initiatives that will chime with consumers who either live in the areas from which they operate or from which they buy their goods and services. From a design perspective, it is curious how few of these initiatives feel ownably branded. All smashing ideas, but with the brand and its values typically “stickered on”. Coke, unsuprisingly, shows how it should be done.

I am sure there is a Sunday sermon concerning the virtues of a humble low-key approach to proclaiming one’s charitable deeds, but this activity is commercially driven. The CSR department, probably ignored for decades, are suddenly ruling the roost as part of the 360 mix. As such, perhaps it’s time that the ideas (all great and “brand-fit” compliant in their own right) should be expressed in ways which make the brand look less arbitary in their visual presence. Because, humility aside, doing this makes the charitable gestures appear closer to the parent brand’s hearts. Having said which, top marks for this Schwepps copyline…