Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
chips as the best, once consumers realized that their computers needed chips to operate,
most would see the absence of the Intel version as a deal breaker.
In 1991, the company began to aim its promotional efforts at people who would never
go into a store to buy a discreet Intel product. Their slogan was: “Intel: the computer in-
side.” The campaign “educated” consumers about the role of the microchip. Ads showed
people using PCs to solve everyday problems in homes, businesses and industry. Their ads
were stories with plots involving everything from rocket science to the family budget. The
message was clear: the new technology helped solve every problem, creating a bright, new
future for everyone. At the core of this technology was the invisible Intel chip. The con-
sumer might not see it, but it was there. The ads implied that without Intel's chips none
of these benefits would be possible. The ad makers used the product's invisibility to their
advantage. Intel became the essential everyday item that no one ever laid eyes on: a be-
nevolent mystery. As the campaign evolved, the advertising agency shortened the slogan
to “Intel Inside.” They devised a tiny logo, and negotiated with the PC makers to put the
logo on every machine. By that time, the ads were already working. Average buyers were
basing at least a part of their purchasing decisions on the presence of the Intel chip. Those
consumers were demanding a product they'd never see or touch.
In the beginning, many savvy advertising executives thought the campaign was some-
where between ill advised and insane. How could you brand products that consumers could
never directly detect with their senses? Yet, it worked. As the Internet turned PCs into ne-
cessities, millions of prospective customers saw the tiny “Intel Inside” logo as an author-
itative statement of quality. Intel held onto its share of a booming market. Intel's branding
strategy positioned the company for a decade of incredible growth.
Most branding stories aren't this huge or inclusive. Most are about products or services
consumers can identify through their senses. Apple touts its “culture” and “experience”
as defining ideas behind its brand, but its physical products reflect the company vision
through sight, sound and touch. When a designer creates a product for a branded line or
company, he must consider how the product's looks and functions fit the brand. This aware-
ness should be there from the start.
When a branded company hires a design firm, the company's marketing team puts to-
gether a brief that tells the branding story. Using this story, the creative director works with
the marketing and analytics team and the UX director to put together a creative brief. The
creative brief combines analytic data and market research, as well as the branding story,
to give the designers direction. The brief goes to the design team before any designing is
actually done. When the design team first sees it, the brief should already be chock full
