“The story of the Apollo spacesuit is the surprising tale of an unexpected victory: that of Playtex, maker of bras and girdles, over the large military-industrial contractors better positioned to secure the spacesuit contract. This book tells the story of this victory, and analyzes both the Playtex suit — a 21-layer, complex assemblage — and its ‘hard’ competitors. It is the clean lines of the latter that have traditionally captured designers’ imaginations: one noted critic described the AX-3 ‘hard’ suit as ‘the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.’”
– Nicholas De Monchaux. Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo (Public Library)
There are brands who have created their presence “by the book” and others who have taken a creative risk by in connecting with their audiences, showcasing themselves and standing apart from others in their same field.
I am a supporter and admirer of those who dare to experiment and think outside of the box- some push boundaries, others show us the world from a different perspective. These brands are the ones that excite us and keep us engaged.
Here is a list of some of my favorite creative branding techniques:
1. Angry Birds‘ use of Vine shows us why they are one of the most popular games (and toys) these days!
2. Adidas Boost created a promotional treadmill vending machine that dispenses rewards (in treat form) based on calories burned.
3. Asher Levine integrates wearable tech into his designs for his Autumn/Winter 2013 collection.
4. Bella, a kitchen appliance brand, encourages its users to use their smartphones and share daily moments with their products via social media.
5. Victoria’s Secret’s use of Twitter’s “image preview” is an example of petite ad space for potential employees.
Live, eat and breathe VS? Now you can work it too! More info: http://t.co/sunJLl2DqQ pic.twitter.com/6OwebdoVXU
— Victoria’s Secret (@VictoriasSecret) November 4, 2013
6. French artist JR’s Inside Out New York City invited New Yorkers and visitors to take self-portraits in a photo booth truck stationed in Times Square.
7. The rise in popularity and use of emojis inspired a crowdsourced and crowd funded version of Herman Melville’s classic Moby Dick; Emoji Dick.
8. Use of architecture to raise awareness: Memorial to the Victims of Violence by Gaeta-Springall Arquitectos, Mexico City, Mexico.
9. Proenza Schouler released a Tumblr-inspired fashion film directed by David Sims and Eddie the Wheel.
10. Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director, Marc Jacobs, dressed up a hologram in one of Hatsune Miku‘s opera wardrobes.
11. Brazilian shoe brand Melissa teams up with Sebastián Errázuriz to present 12 Shoes for 12 Lovers. A 3D sculpture project that portraits Errázuriz’s relationships.
12. Yohji Yamamoto’s Y-3 show for the 2013 New York Fashion Week Runway projection-mapped visual projections.
Dev Harlan for Y-3 / Spring 2013 from Dev Harlan on Vimeo.