The Point of Place

The Birthplace of Brands

Place has always had a role to play in branding. A five thousand year old container found in Southern Egypt inscribed with ‘finest oil of Tjehenu’– clearly Libyan oil was special enough for royalty - is one of the earliest examples of brands linking to place to create value.

Today we only need to think of the glamour evoked by the Champagne appellation or the associations that come with seeing ‘Swiss Made’ on a watch to know that places can stand for bigger ideas than a simple stamp of origin.

Place is a Promise

Using place as a symbol that connects to a brands meaning is not without risk. It requires an understanding of the meaning of a place for a particular audience and how that can be used to link to their own desires and aspirations. By all means evoke Paris, Mexico or Australia but do yourself a favour and avoid the Eiffel Tower, Sombreros or Kanagaroos - they’re a one way ticket to cliché land.

Evoking the spirit of a place can be powerful. Patagonia takes our minds to the unspoilt wilderness, the perfect associations for a brand of outdoor clothing with a commitment to environmentalism. Tokyo Bike leads to urban hipster Nirvana and Havaiaina’s pull off the double trick of evoking Hawaii AND Brazil.

Making a Tastemaker

What does ‘London’ mean when you see it as part of a brand name? London’s image as a global style leader, a setter of trends, is rooted in its eclectic creative mix of communities; of the old and the new; of high art and street style.

BrandOpus’ redesign of mixer brand, London Essence is a distillation of the spirit of the city it takes its name from. London Essence is a tastemaker, the logo sits in a frame upon a pattern of its repeated monogram - it could feel equally at home in a gallery or a catwalk. By distilling the essence of London, the brand promises elegant and elevated experiences in the mind of consumers.

References:

1. Prehistories of Commodity Branding, David Wengrow, Current Anthropology, Vol. 49, No. 1 (February 2008).