Designers Corner

By Scott Power

Cutting-Edge Artists Help Brands to Connect with Tech-Savvy Millennials

In the never-ending search for relevance and credibility with elusive 13- to 26-year-old consumers, aka "Millennials," many brand marketers are seeking the expertise of progressive multi-disciplinary artists and agencies, rather than conventional firms, to create brand and marketing communications that break through, connect, and resonate with these savvy, discriminating, and hard-to-reach Millennials.

Millennials number 100 million strong and are the largest and most techno-savvy generation in American history. There is little doubt technology has democratized the marketplace, shifting the power away from corporations to consumers, and Millennials live at the center of this revolution. In our on-demand world of 24/7 media, Millennials have mastered the art of selective hearing, purposely choosing to whom and to what they will listen.

Consequently, in today's do-it-yourself content rich digital world of instant 24/7 HD surround-sound time-shifted media, yesterday's brand and marketing conventions simply don't work. Our networked, real-time global marketplace raises the stakes for brands because Millennials have the technological know-how to reward or punish brands globally with the click of a mouse. Brand marketers who manage to reach them and win their praise can get coveted word-of-mouth buzz in blogs and chat rooms that ad budgets simply can't buy, making their brand the next Big Thing. Brands who don't reach them get left behind.

Bong Vodka's Artist Series features limited-edition graphics created by up-and-coming, avant-garde artists on its primary and secondary packaging.

Millennials represent a complex marketing challenge, especially for brands that use conventional strategies and tactics and are unwilling to risk changing and adapting to meet them on their own terms. Some brands, to their credit, are gaining traction with Millennials by commissioning progressive up-and-coming artists to consult on brand strategy and product design, packaging, retail environments, branded entertainment, motion graphics, and advertising. The idea is simple: Use the expertise and credibility of today's best contemporary artists and the power of art to connect with discriminating Millennials who are immune to conventional brand strategies or tactics. It's the Millennial version of the celebrity endorsement their parents trusted, only much more integrated.

For example, Altoids has been using emerging artists to reinforce their "curious" image among Millennials and support the progressive art movement Millennials appreciate. In 2005, Altoids chose Tobia Wong, Wallpaper magazine's "Best Young Designer" to create a promotional, limited edition package design. To answer the brief, Tobia created a sleek black tin with a diamond-accented gold chain that spelled out Altoids signature brand word "Curiously."

To add a factor of exclusivity and collectability, just eighty tins were created valued at $100 and only 2005 Academy Award nominees received them. This year, Altoids selected New York based multi-media artist and industrial designer Lindsey Adelman's winning design titled "Curiously Fussy" as the new limited-edition designer tin, available for $10 this fall at boutiques Caravan and Future Perfect in New York City, Show and OK in Los Angeles, and Arrive in Miami.

This year Coca-Cola launched The Club Coca-Cola project at Studio One in Cape Town as part of a global campaign that will introduce a limited edition, contour shaped aluminum Coca-Cola bottle in nightclubs. Each bottle is branded with contemporary graphics designed by some of the most progressive creative firms in the world, including U.S.-based MK12 and Designers Republic in Europe. Printed in ultraviolet ink, each bottle design has a common graphical theme of "optimism" and "a better world," key to the Coca-Cola brand identity. These Coca-Cola bottles demonstrate how a legacy brand can use cutting-edge art and design strategically to reach Millennials.

K-Swiss, the southern California based tennis shoe maker turned hip urban sneaker brand, recently commissioned world-renowned graffiti and stencil artist Logan Hicks to design a custom limited edition signature sneaker with bespoke packaging. Known for his hyper-detailed, meticulously hand-cut stencils, Logan Hicks is in the top ranks of his field with his borderline obsessive approach to creating stencils. His labor-intensive medium involves cutting a separate stencil for each color, then laying each color upon the next until the piece emerges. His technique can require hundreds of hours to complete one piece. Although still in production, Logan's signature shoe and packaging design for K-Swiss is a gorgeous example of how consulting with a graffiti artist to strategize and design products and packaging can visually elevate a brand to differentiate it.

Bong Vodka selected graphic designer Jason Thielke to create this fine art inspired box design to differentiate its brand and connect with Millennials.

Earlier this year, Bong Spirit Import Company, based in Orlando, Florida, created the novel youth brand Bong Spirit Vodka specifically to showcase and promote emerging artists and entertainers through the marketing efforts of the brand. As part of its mission, the company supports the aspiring creative community through artist sponsorships and promotional events. To that end, Bong Spirit Import Company teamed up with cool hunter and blogger Josh Spear and contemporary artists including graphic designer Jason Thielke, imagist Matthew Curry, painter/musician Jimi Beach, ceramist Scott Rench, and illustrator Ogi Graphics to create the Bong Vodka Artist Series. Each artist was selected to create fine art-inspired graphics for the primary package, a bong-shaped glass bottle, as well as the secondary packaging. The finished designs represent a certain artistic authenticity that is quite unique.

Altoids selects one vanguard artist every year to design a limited edition package to promote its "Curiously Strong" brand message.

Millennials represent too great an opportunity for brands to solely rely on traditional brand marketing strategies and tactics if they expect to catch their attention. To improve the odds for success, brands must align with relevant cultural experiences like art to be viewed as credible and authentic in the eyes of Millennial consumers. Consulting with today's most relevant and progressive artists and designers to strategically use their insights and expertise in graffiti, spray paint, stencils, collage, illustration, photography, typography, fashion, and industrial design is one great way to start creating original and relevant brand messaging that Millennials will respond to and respect.

Scott Power is managing principal and cofounder of Man One Design in Los Angeles, where he consults with global brands to incorporate the visual language of graffiti art and design into their consumer brand and marketing communications. His clients include Adidas, Carmax, Coca-Cola, Boost Mobile, Disney, EA Sports, Guess, MTV, Nike, Scion, and Unilever. Scott can be reached 310-773-1165 or scott@manonedesign.com. Visit www.manonedesign.com and www.scottpower.net.