Creative Advertising Collaboration: Initial Brand Research

In order to analyse the brief further both Lydia and I decided to research individually into the brands and brainstorm some ideas for each for out next meeting in which we will choose a brand and discuss ideas.

Brut 'the essence of man':
About:
Brut originated in Paris in the 1960s but quickly became known worldwide. Brut's signature fragrances have 'empowered men across the world to wear its fragrances with confidence, charm and character'. Brut is known for is masculine scents for men as 'men enjoy the distinctiveness and masculinity' of the fragrance.

Bruit is a highly masculine brand which can be seen within its branding and previous adverts, this is intersting as the Brut is a sub-brand of Unilever. Unilever has joined the UN's un-stereotype alliance, which aims to eradicate gender stereotyping from its adverts, which is something Brut isn't known for as lots of previous adverts conform to typical gender stereotypes such as the mans man which is evident in its tag line 'the essence of man'. It would be interesting to see this tagline repurposed with more modern imagery.

Branding/Website:
The logo for Brut has remained largely unchanged since its launch in the 1960s by cosmetics manufacturer Faberge. The serif typeface and decorative aspects to the logo create a dated aesthetic to the logo, making the brand appear stuck in the 60s/70s. Furthermore this dates aesthetic is shown within the website which looks very unprofessional, the use of an infinite scroll create ease of use however fails to showcase the professionalism and character associated with the brand. In addition the body text used throughout the website is too bold and condensed adding to the dated appearance. The theme of macuslintiy can be seen throughout the website through the colour and typefaces choices, however these our outdated stereotypes as a brand can still target a male audience without using greys, greens and bold, block inspired text. Although Brut was once popular I feel it fails to represent the modern man who likes to take car of himself but isn't limited to the strict masculine ideals of the 60s/70s.

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After Eights:
About:
After Eights is recognised as one of the leading mint chocolate brands with one in every two min chocolates being consumed, being an After Eight. After Eights where introduced to the market in 1962 and have become renowned for there taste. The product range consists of three different varieties, the classic carton (filled with the classic wafter thin After Eight), the Collection which is a selection of dark and white chocolates to share with friends and family, the Bitesize (small moreish pieces of dark chocolate filled with milk fondant) and Straws (thin dark chocolate straws filled with mint fondant). After Eights are a sub-brand of nestle.

Fun Facts:
After Eight mints for the UK are produced in West Yorkshire
Adverts have been on TV since 1963
Logo is originally based on antique baroque, silver clock which appeared in the early After Eight tv ads.

Branding/Website:
The branding for After Eights has remained largely unchanged due to its iconic nature ad everyone recognised the classic logo and dark green used throughout the branding. The use of dark green does give the brand a dated appearance however fits the 'evening' theme of the product, the idea that after eights are consumed at the end of a fancy meal. This sophistication is conveyed within the simplicity of the branding as the focus is the logotype and the antique clock featured on each of the squares. In relation to the website, the main information is contained within the nestle website (see figure 4), however After Eight do have a separate site (see figure 5) which show the products under the brand in a simple and concise manner. The use of green and gold adds to the sophistication within the brand allowing for consistency across packaging and digital outcomes, however the body text used within the website is a little dated due it its wide boxy characteristics.

Figure 4

Figure 5

Shake n' Vac:

Glade Shake n' Vac is a powder carpet freshener which eliminates lingering odours that get trapped in carpets and is available in a range of flavours.

'Keep your floors at their most lovable with Glade® Shake n' Vac. Eliminate deep-down odours on carpets and rugs, and freshen your home with a variety of Glade®fragrances to ensure you always have something soft and loving to come home to'.

Shake n' Vac is most well known for its iconic song (see video below) from the 80's which featured in the Tv ad and explained to users how the product worked in a catchy and unforgettable way. However since then Glade have ditched the jingle and decided to go for a more consistent theme throughout its branding focusing on the fresh clean smell that can be achieved through using its products such as Shake n' Vac. 

Interestingly in 2010 Glade launched an online campaign encouraging people to send in their own shake n vac dance videos inspired by the iconic advert. The campaign was introduced by revamping the old advert, creating a new, modern version with the jingles start Jenny Logan. However the campaign and video ad never launched on tv and was solely an online venture.