I spend about half my time designing and consulting on brands of all kinds. My rolling list of clients includes Mattel, Uber, Stance, Nike, and many more in the apparel space.
Something I tell my clients is that branding is more than a logo. It’s more than a color. It’s a look they can own. Apparel branding is how it all ties together. We call that merchandising.
One of my favorite assets in all of apparel branding history is the Burberry plaid. Burberry calls it the “Check”. It has a rich history for their company dating back to the 1920s. The print is unmistakable and deeply connected to the brand’s identity.
Jordan, of Nike, also has a print like this. Surely, you recall the red and black color combo, which isn’t exactly proprietary—after all, Michael Jordan was on the Bulls. The print is known as the Elephant Print. The print was first popularized on the Air Jordan
3. It’s also instantly recognizable.
3. It’s also instantly recognizable.
While some brands include prints and patterns in their identities, most do not. In fact, I think we’re experiencing an un-branding era. And frankly, it’s boring.
Countless brands have adopted no identity at all. Lululemon, Vuori, and Bylt have almost no graphic story whatsoever. This is not a dig. It’s their positioning in the market. Their strategy is to have very little branding and identity.
For the Chomp branding, we have the trademarked teeth®. I use the color pink constantly. And—perhaps most unmistakable—my illustration. Illustration and humor are so deeply connected to the Chomp brand that when I try to make my work less saucy, it sells worse!
Our customers want big, illustrated graphics. That’s us.