Whether you collect inspirational quotes & images in a folder on your desktop, create elaborate mood boards or simply tumble or Pin your favorite online finds, the saving, sharing and viewing of words and images is de rigeur for creative types looking for a hit of inspiration throughout the day (myself included).
Taking this into account, its not surprising that when fashion brands & designers put their thoughts, motivations and values down on paper, these “brandifestos” begin to make the rounds. The right pairing of word and image can be a powerful way to visually communicate brand values, and with luck, drive relationship and mutuality between a label and its target customer.
A few of my favorites:
You have no doubt seen the above manifesto making the rounds of your favorite online haunts, but you might not know much about how it came into being. After deciding to let go of their day jobs and make a go of Holstee, a site for finding “kickass products, sustainably made, with a social impact,” brothers Dave and Mike first sat down “to write the values we thought were important in life. More than a company, or clothes, we wanted to create a lifestyle. Together with our partner, Fabian, we sat on the sunny steps of Union Sq and wrote what would become the Holstee Manifesto. This document that has since been posted on the web more than we ever dreamed – it’s exciting and reassuring to see how many people associate such strong feelings with it.”
A powerful marketing tool that has raised ample raise awareness about the new site, the Manifesto can be purchased as a poster or greeting card. In naming their own values at launch, Holstee effectively generated immediate goodwill and trust among potential customers. This content piece, and by extension the Holstee brand is being shared daily among like-minded people, particularly online. All those backlinks don’t hurt either!
The Lululemon first manifesto is part health & wellness, part old-fashioned good advice. The manifesto has inspired countless blog posts and reblogs, and the brand even had one of their own blog authors embark on a 30 Days journey where she incorporated the principles of the manifesto into her life. Of course, the manifesto is also available for purchase, as a poster or a tote, further extending the brand reach and cementing the bond between brand and customer.
“In the hard times, dress up!” – Hard to argue with that!
Dame Vivienne Westwood hand-wrote this manifesto to communicate her DIY platform. With the above image making the rounds, she even went so far as to tell the Telegraph. “Don’t buy my clothes. Well, if you are rich or can afford a stylist, you can get me. But if not, do it yourself. My idea is that you can mix charity, vintage, Portobello Road, pieces of Ikat fabric; wrap it all around yourself, use a handkerchief as knickers, mix safety pins and jewellery. But above all do something! Be optimistic!”
Wildly recognized for bringing the punk DIY aesthetic to the mainstream (as well as designing for and dressing the Sex Pistols), Vivienne Westwood somehow she gets away with telling people to not buy her clothes, while inspiring them to still to align with her values and, if they cannot afford her designs, to at least emulate them. That’s the power of the dame!
Many of us are skilled creative strategists who think carefully about the brand values and attributes of our own projects and those of our clients. Below are a few ideas to kickstart your own creative manifesto:
Once you are done, consider making the final product easily embeddable from your website, reading it aloud over a short film, printing it on your packaging, using it as the backdrop for store window displays, incorporating it into sales material, business cards, or hang tags. As a key piece of content marketing, the manifesto communicates your authenticity and your truth while at the same time driving brand conversation, loyalty and consumer connection.
Photo Credit: Helene Iracane
