Branding has been a largely successful means to advertising a variety of products over the last 150 years. The word brand is actually derived from the Old Norse word “brandr.” The original meaning of this term was “to burn,” referring to the practice of branding cattle by burning a unique mark on them. Branding broke out into the world of advertising in the mid to late 19th century when packaged goods became increasingly available. At first, factories and companies would brand their logo on the shipping crates and barrels when they sent the products out of the factory. However, marketers quickly realized the potential profits that could be brought about as people began to associate the logos marked on these barrels with the products inside them.
Many successful brands began appearing on the market. Some of the earliest such brand names were those ofCampbell’s Soup, Coca-Cola, and Quaker Oats. The original brands were very different from those we know and love today. Mostly, the brand names and logos were used to get a wide array of customers familiar with the products so that they would trust them as much, if not more, than the local products they were more accustomed to buying. However, with the advent of the radio, and later, television, advertising became much more influential. The advertisements that were the most successful had emotional appeal. These advertisements marketed products with very personable brands. One favorite brand was the beloved Pillsbury Doughboy. Like other successful brand icons, the Doughboy had a very identifiable little giggle any time his belly was poked.
There are many brands that have endured over the years because of their timeless quality and appeal across generations. Some of the most memorable brands that have stood the test of time include the Jolly Green Giant, the Kelloggs Tiger, the Coppertone Girl and Betty Crocker.
Some brands, however, were not as successful as the Energizer Bunny and Aunt Jemima. Sometimes these brand icons were excessively bland, other times annoying. Others failed because they were overly offensive. A great example of this was a Starbucks campaign with the slogan “Collapse into cool.” The icon consisted of two tall cups of coffee surrounded by grass. Many people thought that the coffee cups looked like the recently destroyed twin towers, and as such, were rather offended by the icon. The clincher was the inclusion of the word “collapse” in the slogan, as people recalled the “collapse” of the twin towers. So, it comes as no surprise that this brand icon failed.
Sometimes brands die even though they are memorable. For example, the beloved Taco Bell Chihuahua was a successful brand icon for the fast food restaurant for several years. However, the Chihuahua was pulled as an icon when the company’s profits continued to decrease, despite massive amounts of money invested in the Chihuahua advertising campaign.
In the end, a brand icon often takes years to reach a spot in history. However, many successful brand icons have proved that creating these beloved characters is well worth the effort.
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