I hope the summer season is off to a strong start for you. We've survived Spirit Week in our home (excitement was high for the red vs. blue team festivities; we were a house divided) and summer vacation kicks off in earnest this Thursday. We have already logged countless hours watching the World Cup, and filling up the final Panini sticker album ever. Summer camp trunks are packed, and bulk sunscreen's on order. Let's do this.
In this month's issue of The Pour, you'll find an invitation to join us for drinks in London next month (RSVP for details), a hat tip to the power of distinctive brand assets, a reflection on the coolest RFP opportunity I've seen in ages, and wise words from a comms and marketing leader.
Stay cool & have fun out there!
Cheers,
Laura
Bravo to Levi's brand team for turning lemons into lemonade. When FIFA required all NFL stadiums hosting the games to remove all sponsor branding, they made the most of the assignment: leveraging the distinctive label shape that adorns all their products, and celebrating the act on social.
Remember: your brand is more than your name or logo. Colors, sounds, shapes, and words can all become truly yours, if you build equity in them over time with clarity, consistency, and commitment.
The City of New York is looking for a design agency to bring one of Mayor Mamdani's campaign promises to life. The task of creating a holistic identity for NYC Groceries is just objectively…awesome. And it has a few elements that make it a dream come true*:
A client who understands how and why good design matters: Mamdani used design provocatively, strategically, and joyfully to propel a movement
A blank slate opportunity to build the brand from the ground up: no baggage!
A mission that matters: affordable groceries for New York families
Designing in 3D: retail environments demand design that is as aesthetic as it is immersive – this is about creating a holistic experience, not just font choice and colors
As the RFP articulates: "A fresh, vibrant brand identity is essential to successfully bring the stores to market, communicate the unique value proposition, and achieve widespread adoption amongst New Yorkers."
The busybodies among us have already taken a peek at the agencies who RSVP'd to theinfo session last week. It's a who's who of the NYC branding world. Can't wait to see who wins the assignment…and what they do with the opportunity .
*I call these unicorn projects, and I'm lucky enough to have worked on a few of them in my time!
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