Alex Woodruff Biz Buzz

Of course logos need protecting. Of course you should stop people copying your carefully developed brand equity. Passing off your design could undermine years and millions of investment. But it looks like Lacoste went too far when it took a dental practice in the UK to court for “copying” its logo. That was back in [...]

Having already posted on the progressive marketing skills of the Bavarian beer-loving Pope, I am pleased to see his publicity bandwaggon is accelerating. In preparation for his 2008 tour of the United States, he’s gone and got himself a logo. I love that fetching yellow sweeping arch. It expresses all the dynamism and forward-looking zap [...]

How many companies have the branding clout to advertise without mentioning the company or brand, but by only showing a logo. Those that can have understood the value of brand icons. Good one… (in case you’re wondering: Nike. Thermals, given the tick.)

Your guardian angel this winter I stumbled across this press ad a couple of years ago in Canada and it confirms how powerful a brand icon can be. Whenever I show it to my MBAs it raises plenty of smiles. Not just a guardian angel in the coming winter, a guardian angel to the brand. [...]

My thanks go out to a current MBA for this peek behind the scenes at Bosch and how carefully (though so may argue conservatively) it has nudged its brand forward for 90 years. One thing’s for sure: it has remained consistent! We start with a message from “Wilhelm” to the “German people” proclaiming the need [...]

Nick Kamen stonewashing his Levi jeans Levis is seen as the archetypal image brand in the fashion sector. I don’t wish to be controversial but I disagree. Ever since Nick Kamen walked into the laundromat to the tune of Marvin Gaye’s “Through the Grapevine”, took off his Levis and washed them with a bag of [...]

I’ve been watching a German brand of chocolate for years and either the owners, Mars, keep changing their product managers, or they’re getting a bit lost. It’s called “Amicelli” (I think). They launched the brand in 1999. At the time the slogan was “Alles nur nicht männlich” (everything, except “male”). Sadly I have no copy [...]

A typical approach taken by Procter and Gamble (P&G) to capture people’s interest is the classic problem-solution trick. Here you show what the world is like or would be like without the product, then show the solution – ie the product the company is advertising. It’s usual head on with functional benefits. Henkel in Germany [...]

Problem-solution advertising through and through, scanned in from a German magazine: But somehow this is so blatant, it’s corny. OK, the target market is clear. OK, it clearly shows the “brand benefit”. OK it’s encouraging men to drink this alcoholic beverage and not just women. But do me a favour. Actually, under new guidelines in [...]

Charities and non-profit organisations (NPOs) have enough difficulties raising funds to further their aims. Things become even more challenging when it comes to gaining awareness for their cause through advertising. First, they don’t have the corporate coffers to cut through the clutter like big companies. Second, not everyone is interested in their cause – they [...]