Jürgen Siebert titled his last column for PAGE on 08.03.23 “More is more”. He is referring to the new BURBERRY branding and the “faceless redesign” of BALENCIAGA, BALMAIN, CALVIN KLEIN, GUCCI, VALENTINO, YVES SAINT LAURENT and describes “what a well-stocked toolbox of brand elements is worth”.
Although uniqueness – at least as far as their products are concerned – is seen as the top priority, an independent, consistent, sustainable brand presence is not considered necessary by parts of this industry. Apparently it does not count that the time of the “brand mark” as the sole brand element has long been a thing of the past. Brand identity, more than a logo, the sum of all brand attributes, does not seem to be relevant in this industry. Although the big fashion companies in particular should have understood the importance of a consistent brand experience, which is what makes a brand a value driver. The endless justifications for the constant changes in brand image – including the justification of the supposedly “new mobile world” – and this not only from the companies themselves, but also spurred on by the ever-present consultants, leave us speechless.
But hasn’t the fashion industry always presented an indifferent (brand) image?
Instead of a long-term brand presence, what counts is “new” – season after season, collection after collection. Distinctiveness across all touchpoints is not. A photo and a logo seem to be completely sufficient for brand communication. If you look back a little, an independent visual language that enables a sustainable brand experience is rarely discernible, apart from a few positive approaches such as Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc O’ Polo, which I remember. Most brands rely on more or less spectacular photo series with a logo as the sender – a uniform mishmash without any recognizable originality/recognizability. Several years ago, I presented advertising campaigns with suppressed logos in lectures and found that my audience could not make a brand assignment, but in some cases recognized the “handwriting” of the photographer.
Does this strategy make sense – especially in this day and age? Isn’t it time to access a “well-stocked toolbox of brand elements” and ensure a consistent brand experience at all touchpoints?
