JOURNAL /01
Explore our latest thinking on brand, business and creativity, from deeper Studio Papers and original perspectives to observations, stories and ideas from inside the studio.
Every memorable brand leaves a mark. Some stay with us for years. Not because of a clever logo, a catchy slogan or even a great product alone. They stay with us because they mean something. You can feel it in
Every business wants to stand out, so naturally, the usual question we ask is ‘What makes us different?’ It sounds like the right place to begin. In a crowded market, difference gives people a reason to notice one option over
There was a time when ‘AI in design’ sounded like something out of Black Mirror. Fast forward a few years, and here we are, co-creating with algorithms, prompting image generators at 2am, and wondering if our next intern might just
Digital marketing is one of those things that can feel exciting and overwhelming in equal measure. With endless platforms, ever-changing algorithms, new trends popping up daily, and more marketing ‘must-dos’ than you can poke a stick at, it’s easy for
Rolex, a symbol of luxury, has long thrived on its exclusivity and craftsmanship. But in an era dominated by Millennials and Gen Z, who demand transparency and authenticity, is the brand scarcity strategy sustainable or is it time for a
In a world full of brands competing for your attention, have you ever wondered what makes you choose one brand over another? Is it the logo, the packaging, or perhaps the catchy slogan? While these elements certainly play a part,
OPINION PIECE Aussie Swifties, drop everything now! Taylor Swift is gracing our humble shores next year for seven shows and seven shows only. After sitting in excruciatingly painful Ticketek queues and getting nowhere, I finally secured tickets the *old-fashioned way*
For over a decade, Thankyou has been chasing a single idea – to be a sustainable social enterprise at global scale, making an impact around the world. Thankyou has executed some truly unconventional and highly successful campaigns that led to
OPINION PIECE Bean bags, belly laughs and Benedict Cumberbatch cutouts. These were only some of the things present at CopyCon 2022, run by Kate Toon’s The Clever Copywriting School. But aside from the free lunchtime massages, designated ‘chill out’ zone,
We put AI to the test, giving it the exact same brand identity brief we received.
The challenge was to create a welcoming, inclusive LEGO community for adults, built around creativity, connection and giving preloved bricks a second life.
Heres where our strategy made the difference:
🧱 The concept: Our identity centres around a character thats quite literally a social brick, giving the brand personality, expression and a recognisable face.
🎨 The colours: Inspired by LEGO’s iconic palette, but reimagined with a more contemporary, distinctive twist. Playful and nostalgic without feeling childish.
🔠 The typography: The bold, expressive letterforms of the primary typeface brings personality and confidence to the identity, while reinforcing its playful nature.
🧩 The logo system: The primary wordmark sits within a three-dimensional brick form, connecting the name to the concept. A complementary circular motif creates a flexible visual asset for social media, merchandise and responsive applications.
✏️ The details: Hand-drawn illustrations and expressive graphic elements introduce a sense of freedom, creativity and spontaneity. Tying into the fact that it’s a space where there are no rules for how you play.
Every element has a purpose, connecting back to the people, experience and values behind the brand.
In contrast, AI created a fairly predictable interpretation of LEGO branding. Bright primary colours, familiar brick graphics, generic typography and the kind of busy, information-heavy flyer we’ve come to associate with AI-generated design.
The AI imagery also highlights another challenge. While visually polished at first glance, the artificial people and environments lack the authenticity and consistency needed to build a believable, human-centred brand.
AI understood the category, but it didn’t understand the brand.
That’s the distinction we’re exploring. AI can generate a visual response to a brief in seconds, but brand strategy requires questioning, interpreting, making deliberate creative decisions and understanding why those decisions matter.
Which direction would you choose, and why? 👇
The brief: Create a logo and brand identity for a welcomi
How well do we really recognise brands without their names? 👀
Jess put my brand recognition skills to the test with a series of logos, taglines and imagery, stripped of any additional context.
Some were instantly recognisable. Others took a little more convincing. 😂
It’s a fun reminder of how powerful distinctive visual identities can be, and how much we associate certain shapes, colours and symbols with the brands behind them.
How many did you recognise? Let us know your score below! 👇
What business owners say and what brand strategists hear can be two very different things.
When a business says its marketing isn`t working, the instinct is often to do more. More content, more advertising, more visibility.
But sometimes, the real problem sits beneath the surface.
That`s where brand strategy comes in. It`s about asking better questions, challenging assumptions and understanding what`s actually holding your brand back before investing in the next solution.
And we believe that kind of strategic thinking should be more accessible.
We`ve taken the strategic questions, frameworks and insights behind nearly two decades of brand strategy work and built them into our Brand Builder Map and Brand Oracle.
📖 Brand Builder Map: A guided workbook that takes you through our Eight Brand Marks™ methodology, helping you explore and define the foundations of your brand.
💬 Brand Oracle: Your AI-powered strategic guide, designed to challenge your thinking, ask the questions you might not think to ask and help you turn your insights into a clearer brand strategy.
Build your brand strategy for just $60 + GST.
This includes the Brand Builder Map and one month of Brand Oracle access, with no ongoing commitment required. Subscription options are available if you`d like to continue exploring.
Download your Brand Map and access Oracle via the link in our bio.
#BrandOracle #EightBrandMarks #BrandStrategy #BrandPositioning #BrandBuilding
Good work starts with good relationships.
One of our favourite parts of what we do is getting to know the people behind the businesses we work with. Understanding their stories, sharing ideas, challenging each other`s thinking and seeing those ideas come to life.
Joanna Photography is a perfect example of that. We`ve had the pleasure of working with Jo on her brand, and more recently, the tables turned when we stepped in front of her camera for our own branding shoot.
Jo embraced our creative direction, brought her own ideas and perspective to the shoot, and captured our team in a way that felt genuinely us.
There`s something pretty special about being able to support each other`s businesses, collaborate creatively and share a few laughs along the way.
Thanks for being such a wonderful part of our Oraco community, Jo! 🖤
Content is easy to make, but content that actually feels like your brand is a little harder.
It`s why we don`t think content should begin with, “What should we post this week?”
It should begin much further back.
What do we want to be known for? What does our audience actually care about? What stories are worth telling? And how can we tell them in a way that could only really come from us?
Because when those things are clear, content stops being a constant search for something to say. You have a much stronger foundation to keep coming back to.
And that`s exactly why we created the Brand Builder Map and Brand Oracle.
Built on our Eight Brand Marks™ methodolgy, the Brand Builder Map and Oracle helps you explore the foundations of your brand, uncover what makes you distinctive and develop the clarity to guide everything that comes next, including your content.
Because knowing what to say starts with understanding who you are, what you stand for and why people should care.
Here`s Kannika behind the scenes capturing some of the content that brings those ideas to life.
Strategy gives you the story and content gives you somewhere to tell it.
Want to build a stronger foundation for your own brand? Explore Brand Oracle and the Brand Builder Map through the link in our bio.
Imagine what you could build with real brand clarity.
What if you could articulate exactly what makes your brand worth choosing? Know what you stand for, who you’re here for, where you’re going and what makes your perspective different?
Imagine making decisions with confidence. Communicating your value clearly. Creating work that feels unmistakably yours. Building a brand that people recognise, connect with and remember.
For nearly two decades, we’ve helped businesses explore these questions and turn their answers into meaningful brand strategies.
Now, we’ve brought that thinking together into the Eight Brand Marks™, a framework designed to uncover what makes every brand distinctive.
And we’ve created a new way for you to explore it yourself.
Something new is coming…
Comment ‘Imagine’ to find your Mark.
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