The Dieline Digest 3: Brand Stories that Appeal to All Five Senses

The sophistication of story, writing, and names. This post is a reminder that textual language is as important as visual language in packaging and branding. Here is our pick of recent stories on The Dieline, that we feel are important for our busy clients who may not have had the time.

1. Telling Brand Stories: Anyone who keeps up with anything about anything knows that storytelling to convey the essence of a brand and deepen the relationship with the customer is not only a new trend, but the new paradigm in branding and marketing. Other than having a central character, part of what makes a story so affective is that it is set in a certain time in history. This allows the presentation of details that anchor it in time, yet the story remains timeless.

Therefore, when OddfellowsDentsu agency designed The Bastard Children Of The British Empire India Pale Ale I(I.P.A) series for 4 Pines Brewing Co., they designed the bottles to tell the history of the development of India Pale Ale, through the people and events that shaped the new style of beer. Each bottle in the pack contains beer from different stages in the development of I.P.A., and a brief textual description of the events that led to it.

As you drink, you taste your way through the evolution of the beer while reading its history on the backs of the bottles. This draws the consumer into the story on yet another, deeper level.

Learn some history, taste the evolution, get drunk (and then, maybe . . . act like a pirate?) What more could you ask for?

See the original post on the dieline, here.

2. The writing of the stories. Use of language as an expressive tool is part of writing the brand stories. The words and wording used affect how the story is heard and received. Every word counts. Therefore, as a visual designer carefully and expertly chooses color, tone, position and shape, so each word must be chosen carefully considering more than just its meaning, but its tone, color, flavor, sound, and texture.

(For some specific examples of this type of linguistic variation, leave a comment below and I will be happy to provide them.)

Look and listen to some of the language used for Dead Clean skin care products, designed by Koniak Design.

It is for “Fresh Thinkers”, “The Young at Heart”, “for A Relaxed Soul”.

This shows the importance of focusing on every word on the packaging, as this is a major element of the brand experience along the design.

In contrast, what is even more interesting is their Brand-Story video (above). It is an excellent example of a story that uses visual language and texture to get across a simple message and values, yet not a word of language is spoken in the video. Plus they pull off the extremely difficult trick of having the product be the main character.

Furthermore, listen to the music on Dead Clean’s website. They are utilizing every sensory pathway possible.

3. Names. As further proof that all the rules of branding have gone out the window with the last century, look at the unifying principle in Robot Food’s design of Vocation Breweries beer. Words, related only by the fact that they are clichés, hold an entire range of products together.