The brand with the perfect color code...

It is truly amazing - no other brand is so consistent and reliable when it comes to its CI! The color of the boxes, the bags, the pouches, even their catalogues!

Years ago….and I have to admit it was YEARS ago… I received one of those famous turquoise bags, with a turquoise box inside and a turquoise little velvet sack with a turquoise note…I did not open it right away but I was nervous - right away. It turned out to be a silver heart shaped key ring engraved with my initials for my first car…puhhh, yes - no engagement ring, no proposal from the wrong guy!

But isn't it funny and very interesting - I haven't even written down the name of the brand or told you more details then a color…but you already know, right!? You knew the second you saw the box, that I am about to blog about the biggest branding coup ever - Tiffany!

The New York jeweler, founded in 1837, calls the color 'Tiffany Blue'. It was the color the first catalogue was printed with and it is protected by a color trademark, of course. I just received the current 2014 issue and love it - but why was it was sent to ME!?!?
Dear Tiffany, here is just an idea or maybe take it as a suggestion: Address your mailings to 'the partner of…' ;-) !

But when it comes to recognition is not only about the color code! The typo, the look, …. all this falls into count when a brands builds up its recognition value.
A little test of your imagination and knowledge of the luxury fashion industry. Have a look at this smart way to advertise - without scrowling down - and tell me for which brand this is!?

This is so remarkable! Well done! My absolute favorite and adored photographer Peter Lindbergh did once again something unexpected. This is so inspiring and a new twist to the marketing world: expect the unexpected!

Luis Vuitton's spring campaign, titled 'Spirit of Travel', was shot in South Africa. According to WWD the scene of Karen Elson, the model reaching to offer the giraffe some leaves was not even manipulated but actually happened.

Isn't that something!

But the mother of all CI's is and will always be…….another cowboy ;-)!

Thanks to my little sister - she inspired me (or kicked my a…) to go out there more often and take in more of the real world surrounding me. Thanks to her I went to the MoMa here in Manhattan. This museum is one of my favorite places to get inspired and to fire up all my creative ideas. I became a member a year ago but haven't had time to go there as much as I would have wanted.

But back to the topic - branding and CI. After all those years in Marketing, I was reminded of my roots in this world by this painting (unknown artist). All I know about branding, I learned the hard but very fun way @ my first employer Philip Morris. 

So for me, this is the mother…or better the man of all CI's:

..or am I wrong ;-)

Lady Gaga for Versace or Versace for Lady Gaga?

I was confused, very confused when I saw the Versace ad in the February issue of the W magazine. The campaign was already launched last year but it still causes a lot of controversy…not that Lady Gaga is shy about that, but in this case … ?
There are two different and not so different topics to talk about.
But one creepy step at a time!

So and so often brands 'use' celebrities to market their products. This is nothing new to the marketing world. It is usually the easiest way - although not the cheapest, those VIP cost a fortune - for companies and their brands to get a high PR value for events, to get a nice press coverage when it comes to product launches, etc… . Usually it works just fine; it is a win win for both sides. Celebs need to appear as often as possible to market them selves and the brands need to be talk of the town as well. But there should be no confusion on which 'name' is the bigger one or maybe even a fight over attention!


So you tell me - does this ad promote Lady Gaga or Versace?

And is this look-a-like still a brand by its own?

Who copies whom?











Donatella Versace and Lady Gaga have a lot in common. They are both leaders, on top of their business, strong women with the affection to create. They share the love for self-transformation and wild cloth. But there is a lot more as Lady Gaga admits in the latest interview for Fashion Magazin:

"I don't always have anyone to look up to. It can be kind of lonely because you know some people have been very accepting of me as an artist and some people haven't. Seeing where Donatella is and how far she's come and continues to go makes me feel like I have a role model. I have somebody I can look up to and say 'I can be that' or maybe I can at least try."

So maybe it is a little bit like 'mother and daughter'???
BTW - Happy Mothers Day!

On a side note: There are also 'other' pictures flying around in the online world. It looks like someone has gotten their hands on unretouched photos of the shooting. Lady Gaga's wig is yellowish, her knees are full of bruises and there was basically no make-up used. So one wonders if they did it intentionally to photoshop everything later?
I have to admit that I am not the biggest Lady Gaga fan but her creations and her perfectionism when it comes to her stunning public appearance are beyond everything the pop/art world has seen so far. Could this be true? Or another smart PR trick?