Visuals

Earlier this week, we saw a post featuring new out-of-home advertising from Jones Road Beauty.

The ads, according to the post, were noteworthy because they announced the launch of a new store in Brooklyn. To us, though, the ads were noteworthy for another reason: if you took away product and brand, it still looked like a Jones Road ad.

There are few brands that have launched in the last, say, ten years where a visual identity is so strong and so consistent you can say that. Tracksmith would be one. Liquid Death is getting there with its commercials.

While much is made of optimizing direct response with “ugly” ads, the counter to the “ugly argument” is often “but what about the brand?”

The framing, it seems, is counterproductive to any argument. Short-term wins are easier—and faster—to measure. And direct response is the growth choice for nearly all brands today.

But what happens if you stick with a visual identity? You could call it brand, sure, but it’s more akin to branding. And there’s an advantage in keeping it familiar.