How the Occult Shaped Branding’s Obsession With Color

I often think and write about the importance of “world building” in today’s mixed-media reality: Brands have more control than ever over where and how consumers experience their point of view, from digital feeds and properties to packaging design and retail merchandising. And with that comes many new opportunities to build emotional texture.

This is peak Lifestyle. Easier than ever to launch a brand. More goods than ever. Software-enabled, integrated supply chain driven business models. An explosion of online social media cultures. These elements have become omnipresent, splashed across our lives like the patterned splotches of a magic eye book. Stare long enough, and you begin to see ... See more

Those Bright Colors

A thought about all those bright colors: the party district in Tokyo is organized per se, but as a massive melange of fluorescence visible from Mars. It makes Las Vegas look like a string of holiday lights around your dorm room window. Information grabs you by the retina and trips you over the sidewalk as you try to keep up. Th

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Far too often, we tend to think of branding as an executional activity—logos, colors, monikers—as opposed to an ideological exploration. That’s because our view of branding is far too narrow. Brands are signifiers that conjure up thoughts and feelings about a company, product, or entity, and they can unlock opportunities for leaders to catalyze col

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