This is really asking a few things isn’t it? Brand Identity in a physical product is essentially how recognisable that product is and if it delivers the same quality as other products of that brand. As a concept brand identity is a strange thing. Philosophically it is almost an attempt at projecting human qualities onto a series of physical items, dividing them into families, giving them physical traits and a certain pedigree of prestige. The more one tries to define it, the more fragile the concept actually appears to be. In our modern age of rapid startup development, how does an industrial designer really establish meaningful brand identity, is it something that can be formulated and planned? Or is it earned?
An Unlikely example of successful branding.
Let’s take a refreshing deviation from Apple, the default example of well executed brand identity through industrial design. I want to talk about a brand who is accused of having disproportionate price points and market hype. Rolex! Ahh yes, the luxury wrist watch brand. Being a “luxury” brand (a qualification mistakenly associated only to price), Rolex is not a brand that modern industrial designers would turn to when gathering inspiration for current design trends. In fact luxury brands like Prada, Tiffany, and Mont Blanc are generally considered almost the antithesis of innovative design. It could be argued that some of these brands have absolutely sold their souls to uber consumerism, with excessive branding on their products and questionable price points.
But we’re here to talk about #brandidentity, and at the end of the day, Rolex is one of the most recognisable, cult congregating brands out there, and for good reason.
Rolex from the
Perspective of an Industrial Design
With its aggressive marketing tactics, Rolex has often been accused of buying its way into popularity. What people don’t know is Rolex was a revolutionary brand designing ground breaking products for the time.
The concept of waterproof #watches was invented by Rolex; the original design was worn by the first woman to swim the English Channel. Who invented automatic watches? That’s right, ROLEX! Before Rolex everyone was winding away at their mechanical watches. This was eventually superseded by battery powered (quartz timepieces). Rolex paved the way for “tool watches”; timepieces for all situations and thus “tool technology”, products that are durable, practical and usable. The idea of a waterproof personal device that was self powered was mind blowing at the time, a #technological advancement comparable to the first Smartphone, one of the greatest tributes to industrial design in our generation.
Rolex came from humble beginnings. Originally established in 1905, the brand only stated to gain real traction in the 1920’s and 30’s when they released the already mentioned dustproof and waterproof “oyster case” and later the automatic self winding “perpetual” movement. In the 1950s they released arguably their most iconic watch, the submariner.
Above is one of the earliest iterations of the submariner from the 1960s (left) next to a modern design from 2019. Obviously vintage vs. brand new is distinguishable when comparing these two images, the wear and tear is apparent. But the design language, quality and function are all still there. If both were brand new, a person with no watch knowledge could even mix them up.
How has this design survived decades of market trends, fashion and technological advancements? Some say that Wrist watches have become obsolete in a world where we are surrounded by screens, all displaying the time, so why are people still buying and wearing an expensive piece of supposedly outdated technology who’s design is over 60 years old? Because when people by a #Rolex, they buy a piece of history, it is #timeless.
Brand identity vs. brand history
Our example of the Rolex Submariner is a testament to the potential timelessness of industrial design. Something that is truly designed well will survive for decades. Rolex has maintained the same philosophy of quality and performance. Through the years they have established a certain aesthetic signature making one if their products easily identifiable. A major role of the industrial designer with a product such as a wrist watch is to establish or continue a consistent design language that defies the shifting trends in fashion. This is obviously easier said than done. The fact that Rolex is now considered a luxury brand and has a major cult following only stands as a testament to its strong brand identity. People want a Rolex because of what Rolex represents as a company, which may mean different things for different people. Success, quality, brand history, design, performance being some of those reasons. The fact that Rolex can have those many perceived effects on people and caters to an array of qualities that a consumer may want to project on it may be its success as a brand.
Dieter Rams’ work for Braun is another good example of timeless industrial design. Arguably the designs of the 70’s are more modern than the type of products Braun produces now where everything looks like a car from Fast and Furious.
Is it a Myth?
Is brand history a major component of brand identity? Can new brands with new products really establish a meaningful relationship with their market? It is not a lost cause, yes history does help, but it is not the only contributing factor. The real strength in brand identity is the consistency of their identity. This is why McDonald doesn’t make Lasagne, star bucks doesn’t make burgers, nudie jeans doesn’t make wedding dresses, Adidas doesn’t make stilettos and apple doesn’t sell gym equipment. A brand must know its market and its speciality. #IndustrialDesign is a useful tool in that endeavour. A product that works well, has a lasting, recognisable aesthetic signature and consistently provides that product with a level of quality which will attract loyal customers. A good base for strong brand #identity, is strong industrial design.
Comments