Task 2.1 / Understanding Identity
1. Look at the following logos and explain in your own words what you consider their identity to be (do this for each one)
Instagram: Their use of a rounded square can give a friendly look. The colors are bright and very eye catching, and gives a sense of creativity and fun. If i did not know what brand this was prior to the task, I would probably see it as a Media brand, due to the camera lines in the middle. I would say their identity is ”user friendly, creative and fun”.
Mercedes Benz: The Mercedes logo is a circle with three lines, with a steel gray color that makes the brand feel professional and luxurious. The color makes us feel like the quality of their products is high. I would say their identity is Professional, luxurious and high quality.
Mastercard: The logo is two circles, one red and one orange that meets in the middle creating a tertiary color that is a mix of these two. The colors are warm and welcoming, and gives a feeling of comfort. It is a simplistic style, making the products maybe also seem simple and efficient to use. I think their identity is simple, efficient and user-friendly.
2. Let’s work backwards! Look at Louis Vuitton bags, in particular the Speedy 30 Monogram. By doing your own research, investigate the history of the product. Give an outline, in your own words, of what you consider the following to be:
Describe the Louis Vuitton brand identity – exactly as you see it:
I see the identity of Louis Vuitton brand to be very high quality products, and a luxury lifestyle brand. They make sure that their products are made out of quality materials. They work hard to amuse their clients with several accessories to choose from, and different purposes of use on their products.
What do you think the brand position is currently?
I would think the brand position is innovating elegant, modern style and high quality products.
What do you think the strategy for the Speedy 30 Monogram bag was?
Era’s travel revolution on the 1930’s made travel bags very popular. I assume making the size as it is, it would be perfect as a traveling bag making it very popular at the time. It was roomy, but still small enough to fit in the plane spot. I think some of their strategy was also to make a design pretty similar to another popular bag at the time, the Keepall bag.
What research do you think the company did before they created this bag?
I would think the company research they did before making the bag was first of all fashion trends at the time. They probably found out the Keepall bag was popular at the time and started researching why. Then they found out it was due to the size and purpose of use which was travel. On top of just being a travel bag, they wanted something extra to outclass the Keepall. Maybe make it fit more into every day life.
3. Now take the same product as in question two and explain, in your own words, how the logo fits in with the brand positioning.
The Louis Vuitton logo fits with the brand positioning due to the elegant look of the letters. It is also usually gold, making it look more of a luxurious brand. Due to the serif on the letters in the logo, you get a feeling the brand is more professional.
Resources;
https://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/products/speedy-30-monogram-008784
https://etoile-luxuryvintage.com/blogs/news/history-of-the-bag-louis-vuitton-speedy
https://www.newvintagehandbags.com/blogs/blog/a-better-glimpse-at-the-history-of-the-louis-vuitton-speedy-bag
Task 2.2 / Understanding Ideals
Visit a popular store, like an Apple reseller, Nike, Levi’s, H&M or Ikea. The brand should be well-known, and you must visit a shop where their products are displayed or distributed. In smaller towns, you may not have access to these stores. In this case, you’ll need to find a section showcasing these items and view how they are displayed or laid out.
Before going to the shop, determine the following about their brand identity and, once at the shop, evaluate how they remain true or untrue to their brand identity.
Hand in a write-up with photos of the following:
1. The branding element they are using in their logo (e.g. abstract mark or wordmark)
They are using abstract mark for the logo. It is two letters, H and M. This mark gets placed on all their products. They use red, which is a warm and welcoming color when coming into the brands store.
2. What you think their brand positioning is?
I think it is ”fast and cheap clothing to everyone.” There is clothing for every person, from fashionable to casual, from men to women to children. The clothing is also not that expensive, making it available for pretty much everyone.
3. How do they remain true to their brand positioning within their shops and brand identity?
I think they stay true to their brand positioning by having such variation and also pretty cheap products. They include everyone in their store and the people working there are welcoming. They don’t really remain true to their brand identity since H&M stands for Hennes & Mauritz, which focuses on women’s clothing due to ”Hennes” meaning ”Hers” in Norwegian. This is probably due to earlier days of the brand when this was their main customer consumer.
4. Evaluate the customer experience according to the brand positioning. (For example, if the brand positioning is ‘innovation’, do you get a sense of that when you visit the outlet?)
When i visited the H&M shop, I felt welcomed straight away. It was easy to know where to go, and a worker came up fast to ask me if I needed any help. I though it was a good customer experience according to the brand positioning.
5. Evaluate the visual display of the products according to the brand ideal. (For example, if the brand ideal is ‘value’, is this expressed in how they display the products?)
Doing some research on H&M I found out the brand ideal is ”the H&M spirit” which focuses on constant improvement, sustainability, entrepreneurial spirit and more. I would say the display of the products according to the brand ideal is expressed. They get constantly new clothing in, and their workers are helpful and welcoming. They also have some sustainable fashion, focusing on eco-friendly fashion to help the environment.
Resources;
https://hmgroup.com/about-us/our-values/
Logo Design Workbook: A Hands‑On Guide to Creating logos’