As the need for creativity when it comes to branding and design is more important than ever to enable you to stand out from your competition, it’s time to put on your creative hats and prepare for the emerging brand trends for 2023.
To make it a little easier to keep up with, we’ve put together a handy list to help you along the way….
Trend 1: Finding that human connection
People have always craved connection when it comes to branding, and this desire has only been exasperated by the pandemic. Customers want to immerse themselves in rich brand photography and film, and want to see and hear themselves through your tone of voice and chosen visuals. Authentic brand storytelling is a great way to incorporate this brand trend for 2023, there’s a lot of different ways you can make this intimate and speak to people’s hopes and dreams – it’s also a nice break away from the very clinical world we live in.
A great example of a brand establishing an authentic story to better connect with their audience is British Airways, whose recent campaign celebrates the myriad reasons we travel. The ads themselves are very minimal in design, with clever copy lines being the star of the campaign. They pose the question ‘what is the purpose of your visit?’ to travellers, a seemingly simple question, but one with a wide range of answers that all celebrate the fun of travelling. From topping up a tan to indulging in the native food and drink. Their campaign makes the consumer think about why they travel and the many avenues to explore when travelling, all made possible with the popular airline brand. Their ‘people-focused’ approach with this campaign has done well to find that desired human connection that so many of us are craving in the brand and design world.
Trend 2: Photographic branding
Many businesses are favouring photography for their branding and this doesn’t seem to be a trend that’s going anywhere in 2023. Again, relating to the idea of connecting with your audience on a more human level is what makes photographic branding so appealing. By using photography you can show off your brand identity as one that values both that special human quality and also cares to engage with your consumer.
Utilising social media and incorporating images of your team and even capturing strong behind the scenes photography will allow your consumers to resonate with your brand.
PayPal’s brand refresh seen earlier this year opted for a ‘people first’ photo-centric approach, with an inclusive use of photography from geography, gender, income, values, and demographic to reflect the diverse PayPal community. This clever brand overhaul definitely championed the needs and wants of PayPal customers. We’re looking forward to seeing how other brands incorporate photography into their branding.
Trend 3: Overstimulated branding
While some brands are trying to go down the more natural route with stripped back, authentic branding, others are using bright colours, distorted fonts and in-your-face icons or logos to make a statement. Overstimulated branding is set to become a big brand trend for 2023 with the use of visual imagery and eye-catching colour to get attention and captivate the senses.
This type of branding maximises space and when done properly leaves audiences feeling a sense of happiness and positivity associated with the loud colours and visual imagery connected to your brand. This is definitely a trend for those brands that aren’t afraid to be bold and want to create a bit of light relief for their customers.
Headspace, the online meditation app, have established a bold and beautiful visual identity through the means of overstimulated branding. Their bright and joyful colour palette aligns with their overall mission for ‘less stress and more joy’. This extends to their Instagram and website, with charming illustrated characters, inspirational quotes and bold colours throughout creating a cohesive experience for all users, grabbing their attention for all the right reasons. Will you be trying to incorporate more overstimulated branding in 2023?
Trends 4: Designing for hyper-reality
All designers will know that with the changing times comes new design skill sets that need to be mastered to stay current and relevant to what’s “in”, and designing for hyper-reality is a brand trend for 2023 that’s no different. Design seems to be going through another revolution, as seen with the one from print to digital, only now it revolves around creating fully immersive brand experiences that blur the lines between technology and reality.
With the emergence of AI image generation and AI data sculptures, 2023 looks to be the year where AI-generated content will be available to the masses, with new software aiding creative output.
Well one thing is for sure, it’s a great time to be in the creative world!
Trend 5: Colour of the year – Viva Magenta
For 24 years Pantone’s forecasters have been choosing a Colour of the Year following a process where its experts “comb the world looking for new colour influences.” For 2023 they’ve settled on the colour Viva Magenta, an “empowering” red shade “rooted in nature.”
This colour stems from the red family and is believed to be a great colour to represent the upcoming year due to its versatile ability. The colour is centred around the idea of warmth and the natural world, which resonates with self-expression and people around the world.
Pantone’s 2023 colour of the year is certainly something we wouldn’t mind seeing brand use in the new year, after a good few years of uncertainty this colour inspires hope, assurance and motivation.
Enjoyed reading our creative insight? For expert advice and help on how to choose and adopt the right branding, get in touch with us today and get the ball rolling for 2023.
Enjoyed reading our creative insight? For expert advice and help on how to choose and adopt the right branding, get in touch with us today and get the ball rolling for 2023.
Image sources: 1)www.creativereview.co.uk 2) designweek.co.uk 3) www.columnfivemedia.com 4) 99designs.co.uk 5) designweek.co.uk
