How does our choice of identity influence our choice of brands?
Identity is the raw honesty that expresses who we are through our own eyes, not merely through brands. We are all exhausted by brands’ misfires and attempts to box us in. People are demanding authenticity.
Break the 4th wall.
The theatre world has a concept it calls the fourth wall, which refers to an imaginary barrier separating the stage from the audience. As consumers, we experience this in advertising too. It’s the invisible barrier that distances us from brand storytelling. We sense the fourth wall in our common attitude that dictates, “We may notice your ads, interact with you on occasion—but we’re just not that close.”
How much is the brand story like ours?
In a world that’s changed so dramatically, who’s to blame us? Everything has changed. Climate, trade, business. Health, transportation, currency. Community structures, family structures, social contracts. Culture. Everything. Yet, most advertising stories are still based on a brand-centric approach left from the industrial age. Looking inside the next generation, they don’t care about the brand story; they care about their story. The goalpost has shifted. The 'story of us’ is now the only one that matters. That’s why identity matters.
We see this every day. I was hanging out with my 17-year-old nephew when, out of the blue, he turned to me and smirked, ‘You know, my dad and I were talking the other day about how we wish there were more advertising.’ He laughed, but I shot back (noticing his branded t-shirt and sneakers): ‘When I work with Puma, I’ll let them know.’ I felt momentary satisfaction as he grappled with how we could love anything Puma and hate everything else. It was obvious he had never considered how his relationship with the brand had become interwoven with how he chose to show up. Value is often invisible until it’s absent.
Plato said, ‘Those who tell the story rule the world.’
We call this level of devotion that’s firmly grounded in our identity brand love. But most, like my nephew, can’t fathom that such attachment is possible on a broad scale. That’s why we do what we do. By understanding the underlying science of identity, Maude helps brands break through to a higher level of connection that can be captured by all brands, not just a select few.
GAP Group Senior Design Director/Board Member/Shareholder/Investment Management/Board Member/Strategic Cooperation/Sustainable Development/Planning/Expansion/Accounting/Financial Analysis
1moThis collaboration sounds fantastic! 🎉 Julia Huynh’s creative touch on Gap's iconic hoodie is sure to resonate with both longtime fans and a new generation. It’s exciting to see how Gap is embracing a social-first mindset and engaging with creators in such an authentic way. With the hoodie turning 30 next year, it’s the perfect time to reimagine a classic! Can't wait to check out the Extra Heavyweight Oversized Hoodie on Gap.com. Keep up the great work!