At More Branding, we approach Storytelling with the core belief that every detail matters. If it doesn't matter then it needs to be eliminated. One of the simplest ways to more powerfully communicate your story is to thoughtfully implement production techniques and/or materials that strengthen your message.
Here are six ways we strategically used materials to strengthen the message:
1: Cypress Creek Renewables: We recently created a brand for Cypress Creek Renewables. They are a solar development financing company. The special technique we used to bridge solar technology and financing was holographic foil. The hologram interacts with the light reminding you of the solar focus while also feeling secure like the security holograms on your checks, credit cards and drivers licenses. It's a witty solution that had no additional costs compared to a standard silver or gold foil stamp.
2: Miller Law Firm: An environmental law firm based in Tulsa not only practiced law to protect the environment they wanted to live it with their brand and materials. One simple solution was to use paper that was produced in a facility that used wind energy, contained post-consumer waste and was Green Seal certified. In order to communicate their commitment to their cause we told people about their conscious paper decision right on the stationery.
3: Moving Announcement: We needed to tell our clients and business contacts that we were relocating our offices to the 10th floor. Our solution was to up cycle our moving boxes by simply screenprinting the announcement right on the cardboard and dropping it in the mail.
4: Liquid Compass: This company was founded to help people find their way personally and in business. Liquid Compass would them through a strategic self-discovery method process. When we developed their materials we didn't print ink we simply debossed the information. This created interaction and forced potential clients to think differently. It turned out to be a great tool for culling potential clients that weren't open to change and wouldn't benefit from the effort.
"Not all problems are easy to see." "Make it more visible by lending your support."
"Ignoring it won't make it go away." "Make it more visible by lending your support."
5: Child Abuse Network: We wanted to expose people to the sometimes hidden topic that Child Abuse is real, it's happening and just because it's difficult to see doesn't mean it's not there. We created a series of posters that made the viewer look hard for the message and then asked them for their support to help make others more aware of the problem.
6: Cox Business Cable: Here is a digital one for you. Cox identified a perfect website to advertise their products, promotions and services but there was a big problem. The entire website was blue and all of their advertising had traditionally used the same Cox blue which was their corporate color. Their ads receded into the website and essentially became invisible. We convinced them to do a guerrilla type campaign using the brightest colors possible, weaving in a supporting message and becoming the most visible content on the site.
The click-rate was the highest we had ever seen with Cox Business - people had never associated Cox with anything but blue and this peaked their interests and enticed them to click. "When websites give you lemons make lemonade?"