Search for content of interest

  • About
  • ServiceS
    • Branding
    • Innovation
    • Naming
    • Strategy
    • Research
    • Design
  • Work
  • Insights
  • News
  • LOCATIONS
    • Shanghai
    • Paris
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia

CN FR
  • About
  • ServiceS
    • Branding
    • Innovation
    • Naming
    • Strategy
    • Research
    • Design
  • Work
  • Insights
  • News
  • LOCATIONS
    • Shanghai
    • Paris
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
CONTACT

EN

  • CN
  • FR

Home Insights Our Thinking Detail

EXPERTISE

  • Strategy
  • Branding
Contact Us

When Individuality Becomes Deja-vu: Rethinking Communication Strategy for a Differentiating Fashion Brand Identity

the seo keyword is “fashion brand identity”,you should contain it appropriately: Levi’s launched a new commercial for the summer, continuing its “活出趣” or “Live out the fun” campaign in China. The slogan “活出趣” is an adaptation of Levi’s’ global brand campaign “Live in Levi’s.” The Chinese Levi’s commercial features actor Shawn Yue and singer Ivy Ai having a fun pool party with friends, and calls on the audience to “live out the fun” in life (as opposed to “stay in”). The commercial seems exciting, cool, bold and individualistic, but is it really?

From Vancl to Nescafe, in recent years, we are noticing many brands from different industries advocating the same idea: a promotion of youth and individuality – to have fun, to explore, be bold, and be yourself.

The rise of the “Young and Individualistic” trend in China finds its roots in strategic brand initiatives. Adidas Originals, a trailblazer in shaping fashion brand identity, initiated the transformative “Celebrate Originality” campaign in 2008. Beyond reinforcing the brand name, this campaign established a unique identity for Adidas Originals within the broader Adidas brand. The result has been the successful cultivation of a bold and edgy image, aligning seamlessly with the preferences of today’s youth.

Till this day, Adidas Originals is not afraid of having controversial personalities such as Edison Chen and Nicki Minaj as their brand ambassadors.

Turning the clock further, even before Adidas, China’s home-grown apprarel brand Meters/bonwe already had the idea in 2003. Do you still remember the famous quote “Don’t Walk the Usual Way” (不走寻常路) by Jay Chou? This line was a perfect fit for the brand embassador’s image. Throughout the years, Meters/bonwe has been consistently communicating this message in several variations. Different from Adidas Originals, Meters/bonwe positions itself as a mass market brand, putting big budgets in brand implementation in Hollywood blockbusters such as Transformers.

There is no doubt that “individuality” and “boldness” are powerful and effective messages for the younger generations. Chinese youngsters in particular are eager to shake off what are conventionally expected of them, fighting to become independent and daring. This concept not only appeals to such mindset, but also provides ample room for creative expressions in visual and verbal communications.

As more and more brands are gravitated towards the same idea, the “original” message becomes common and repetitive. In fact, the visuals of such brand campaigns often seem similar as well: they often use bright colors with a retro feel, have one person acting cool or a group of young people having fun, and a one-liner slogan in large font. Eventually for brands, as opposed to appearing cool and unique, they disappear in the big idea, losing differentiation. As consumers, we no longer get inspired.

When brands find ideas for their marketing campaigns, it is always a good idea to look back at their brand identity, and find a way that aligns with their core communication strategy. For Levi’s, it is likely that the brand is trying to reposition itself from a denim maker to a fashion brand in the Chinese market. But could they have had a different approach? What we are trying to say is that the “cool way” isn’t the only way. We look forward to seeing more differentiating brand campaigns that truly enhance the brand.

  • SHARE
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
BACK

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest insights, tips, and trends in branding, naming and innovation.

Related Article




Elements in China Cultural Design: An Opportunity for Innovation through Mix and Match

Chinese elements are easily recognizable, highly differentiated, and connected to cultural characteristics. They are signified in arts, ideology, lifestyle, and more. Som…

Brand Strategy: Asus – Branding to the High End Market

If the Asus EeePC series initially captivated attention through affordability, the recently launched EeePC S101 signifies Asus' strategic shift from a budget-focused PC m…

Making Sense of Sound—Sound Naming & Symbolism

Exploring Sound NamingIn 1929, a German psychologist named Wolfgang Köhler conducted a cross-country experiment. The task was simple: when presented with two abstract sha…

How Platform Brands in South-East Asia (SEA) Define Their Brand Positioning: Your Target Matters

This is the 1st part of our 'How Platform Brands in South-East Asia (SEA) Define Their Brand Positioning' article, which will guide you through principles and great cases…

Diverse Brand Experience, Dynamic Brand Design

Brand design is undoubtedly one of the most decisive aspects of this branding battle. 70% of the information we perceive every day comes from visual experiences. Look aro…

Name Analysis: Chinese Names of Online Shopping Companies

Over the past couple of years, the popularity and profitability of online shopping websites in China has grown exponentially. As the number of internet users as well as t…

Standing Out While Fitting In: a Dilemma for Brands and Humans

In the essential teachings of Branding 101, the mantra is clear: be different. Standing out in your category, capturing consumer attention, and being memorable are fundam…

FREITAG Fashion Branding, Keep Moving Forward Like a Truck

Start S.W.A.P-ing! Do you remember the typical “Swipe Right or Left” of the dating app Tinder? In October, the Swiss bag retailer FREITAG launched its new proprietary pla…

Ready to take your brand to new heights?

Let's start a conversation.
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CAREERS
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest insights, tips and trends in Branding, Naming and Innovation.

* Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy

  • Labbrand Group
  • Labbrand
  • Madjor
  • SpringPillar
  • Follow us:
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

A Labbrand Group Company © 2005-2024 Labbrand All rights reserved

沪ICP备17001253号-3

Contact us to get the latest insights, tips, and trends in branding, naming, and innovation.

* Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy


  • Follow us:
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

Cookie Notice

To improve your experience, we use cookies to provide social media features, offer you content that targets your particular interests, and analyse the performance of our advertising campaigns. By clicking on “Accept” you consent to all cookies. You also have the option to click “Reject” to limit the use of certain types of cookies. Please be aware that rejecting cookies may affect your website browsing experience and limit the use of some personalised features.

Accept Reject