For all of you creatives on LinkedIN, join the group Creative Professionals! It is a strong community of like-minded designers, marketers and well-rounded creatives with an active community. Garrett Stokes, the CEO of Catalysto Limited, a full service ad and visual communications agency in Dublin Ireland posted, an insightful viewpoint in response to my orignal posting about Successful Strategic Positioning in Graphic Design
“This relationship between Tiffany’s and Frank Gehry is an example (one of many) of the truth of the idiom – One hand washes the other and both hands wash the face … and you are right of course Lisa, the relationship embodies strategic graphic design in marketing (or more accurately, as you say in your blog, Strategic Positioning in Graphic Design).
There is a sculptural quality to Tiffany’s product (on a very small scale) and to Gehry’s work (on a monumental scale) – and both share an artistic integrity and an aspiration to the achievement of the highest standards. Both are leaders in their fields and the relationship is obviously to the advantage of both parties. Strategically positioning the two brands benefits both but I think it is of most benefit to Tiffany’s whose reputation for contemporary design has never been very high (the brand has different values; quality, prestige, trust, history, etc) nor has it been associated with cutting edge innovative design. Gehry brings these values to the Tiffany brand.
And one of the results is gorgeous product design and excellent photographic images of the product … now Tiffany’s need to elevate their game in the advertising/graphics/design department where some contemporary qualities would be of benefit and in the consistent management of their corporate identity, and strangely (?) the Gehry Partners web site is a non-event.
Porsche teamed up with Harley-Davidson to design the V-Rod: the quickest and fastest production motorcycle the company has ever built. Porsche brought values that Harley could never have developed internally (sophisticated design was not a Harley strong point).
Porsche design and Adidas are two great brands dedicated to merging timeless design and sports functionality in an extraordinary product experience. Porsche and Motor Sport go together and Adidas and Sports are synonymous as it is a logical association between these two brands that pushes Adidas up the quality scale and ties Porsche to Human Sporting Performance and endurance.
Apple Introduced the U2 iPod in 2004 … fusing Art, Technology & Commerce.
Values that one brand doesn’t have it may get by first identifying a suitable partner and then creating an appropriate relationship is a bit like life, really.”
Garrett Stokes, CEO of Catalysto Limited
Based in Dublin, Catalysto is a full service advertising and visual communications agency. We work closely with our clients in providing them with creative advertising, design and marketing solutions which we successfully implement across all media.
Creative Professional
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