Neworld, Great relationships build great brands

We live in a fast moving, action packed world. Bombarded on a daily basis with messages, “likes”, “emojis” and hashtags. This creates a challenge for brands to engage and create a human connection amongst all this noise and for the brand to try to create an emotional connection with their audience.

A company that recently caught my eye is Harvey Norman, a great example of a brand that has recently done a 360 on their branding proposition. Famous for their SALE SALE SALE adverts, they have always based their brand tone of voice on their low prices and great value sales! That is until recently, their latest advertising has moved completely away from this format to an advert that highlights key emotional events; families celebrations, a special birthday party and that memorable football final and all the while in the background sitting quietly is one of their couches. No mention of low prices, no SALE SALE SALE slogans, instead an atmospheric room setting and the all important cool ALL TWINS soundtrack perfectly edited to echo this new brand sentiment.

In a society where we are constantly being advised to upgrade, renew or update Harvey Norman’s new brand direction puts their furniture in a supporting role and instead puts the events that take place around their furniture in the leading role. It looks to create an emotional connection by highlighting the fact that couches are not just couches but that they form an integral part of all the highs and lows that family life brings, all the while sitting there quietly in the background.

Their tagline “We bring the sofas, You bring the life…” caused me to pause and reflect on that everyday piece of furniture that sits in all our living rooms, and reminded me that my trusty old brown leather sofa is a lot more than just something to sit on…

Xat Houatchanthara – Creative Director Visual Communications

Xat has specialised in building brands, from inception through to rollout to creating complex brand guidelines. In his role as Creative Director, Xat immerses himself in the complete branding process, acting as your brand guardian throughout each project, combining fresh, dynamic design concepts with sharp implementation.