Illustration Importance in a Branding System.

Nowadays, consistency and differentiation are vital to the success of a brand. At Manifiesto, we believe that one of the most significant elements to achieve these objectives is the style of illustration used within the branding system.

Branding

Brands are organic entities that evolve. It is usual to observe that the longest-lived companies go through several versions of their logo, adapting to the sensibility of each era. However, these changes are usually slow and gradual, with several years between one version and another. Even if there are multiple variants of the "Coca-Cola" logo, the logo will still say "Coca-Cola".

Brand design, or branding, is a tool for visually expressing a brand's abstract message. For example, an elegant brand may use sober, desaturated colors, while a child-oriented brand might opt for colorful and varied shapes. Branding helps us communicate complex ideas instantly through graphic codes such as color, typography, photography, composition, rhythm, and hierarchy.

Illustration

Illustration is an extremely versatile graphic code. Unlike the logo or the typographic palette, illustration can afford new iterations much more frequently. Illustrations can be generated for our packaging, but also for a new advertising campaign, to promote a service, to announce a discount, to celebrate a holiday, etc. When a branding system includes an illustration style, a world of possibilities opens up to convey different messages. While the logo communicates a general and abstract message such as "We are a serious and reliable company". The illustration allows us to convey varied and specific messages such as "We have summer discounts" or "Try this new product".

There are some brands in which the illustration system itself becomes the product.

The illustration style can be more explicit in eliciting emotions from customers. While the brand voice conveys a personality (e.g., "cool," "relaxed," "formal"), illustrations can introduce characters that embody this personality. Brand mascots are an excellent example, popular among companies targeting a young, mass-consumer audience, such as the Trix bunny or Chester Cheetah. However, mascots are not limited to this market and can be used by all types of brands, like Doctor Simi or the Alpura cow.

Brand mascots are a unique use of illustration in brand design, often becoming as recognizable, if not more so, than the logo itself. The design of these characters should be approached with the same level of detail and specificity as the logo.

Sometimes, illustration and advertising mascots can be equally or more effective than a logo in generating a memorable brand.

Illustration is not limited to mascots. It is also used on product packaging to evoke brand presence. For example, Heinz Ketchup bottles wouldn't be the same without the iconic tomato on the front. Also, in a product line, illustration helps communicate specific information, such as pink packaging suggesting strawberry flavor.

Besides communicating information, a good illustration makes a product more attractive.

Illustration can communicate both concrete and abstract messages. A beauty and personal care brand can benefit from poetic and evocative illustrations, closer to works of art. The rules of brand design apply to illustration as well. Using a generic style may appeal to a broad audience, but developing a timeless style of your own will tie the illustration intimately to the brand.

In order to be effective, the illustration style must reflect the brand's personality.

All brands have different needs, but including an illustration style in the branding system can offer greater visual flexibility, a deeper emotional connection with the target audience, and greater appeal over time. Investing in a well-defined illustration style is a smart strategy to strengthen brand identity and effectively connect with the audience.