Zine Design

https://bookletlibrary.org/a/anson-marti/

'A zine is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via photocopier. Zines are the product of either a single person or of a very small group, and are popularly photocopied into physical prints for circulation. '

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/88911/brief-history-zines

'radical potential of self-publishing,'

Unexpected Circumstances

Over the past couple of days, the UK has gone into lockdown due to COVID-19. There was speculation in the weeks leading up to this official lock down with a lot of different information and rumours circulating. Advice given about social distancing meant I didn't attend university for the week before the official lock down was enforced, even though it was still open - this was not a decision I took lightly, but I believe it was the right one to make. Now that we are officially in lockdown and the university has told us how this will effect our course, I am ready to continue with my 2 current modules in a slightly different way than before.

OUGD406: I shall continue to develop my record sleeve design as if I was going to screen print the final outcome. I am currently working on image making and typography individually and then plan to combine them and experiment with the layout and processing to produce a final outcome. Due to limited access to facilities, I will be using adobe software to imitate physical processing techniques.

OUGD402: My plan was to create one zine for this project and I am going to stick to that. I don't have a printer available so I will be creating the zine digitally and replicating physical processing techniques as best as I can. I have already started to layout text and images on an InDesign board.

Sketchbook - Ideas

Song Choices

Song 1:

Ellen Allien - Free Society
released 2019

Ellen Allien is a Berlin native music 

- she cites the culture of reunified Berlin as one of the main inspirations for her music
- electronic musician, music producer, and the founder of BPitch Control music label


music video for the song:



Song 2:

Dr. Motte & Westbam - One World One Love Parade, Love Parade 2000

- Dr. Motte is a DJ, producer & remixer from the orig. vanguard of Technos few pioneering souls initiated and successfully staged the biggest cultural celebration of electronic music, tolerance and life itself, that the world has ever seen: the Love Parade.
- “If you perceive music as a kind of social responsibility of a culture you'll always remain progressive.”
- 

Dr ME Visit

Visit from studio Dr ME today -

Dr me

Vaughn oliver - back cover is as important as front

No money in record sleeve design - adapt way you work

Sand paper sleeve - 

Stickers onto blank sleeve - david rudnik

Everything by hand until end when you layout in PS/ID

Evian christ

Concrete poetry

Don sylvester typographic monk

Make LOADS of versions

Sketchbook

Owning a vinyl sleeve is a cheap way to own a piece of art.

clear sleeve

concrete poetry

Dr.Me were keen on experimentation and doing physical work - 2 methods i find really helpful when creating a design. They're well known and respected for creating innovative record sleeves.

They use a lot of elements like digitalising physical drawings/ sketches or doing collage, and then making the results look refined by adding type digitally.

Project Statement

This practical project was created alongside two written essays exploring what branding means in a contemporary context, and how branding interacts with
the lifestyles of consumers.

My argument is that branding is no longer focused on simply distinguishing a product from its competitors, but that brands now feed into a consumer’s sense of self identity.

In my second essay, I provide evidence that consumers buy products not necessarily based on quality, but because the products’ branding aligns with the customer’s own image of themselves. That is to say, the brand reinforces the consumers idea of who they are and how others see them. This is described by Claudiu-Cătălin and Andréa in the essay ‘Brands as a Mean of Consumer Self-expression and Desired Personal Lifestyle’.

Recent years have seen the emergence of what have come to be known as ‘lifestyle brands’. A lifestyle brand is a brand which encompasses the values, aspirations, interests and opinions of a certain group in order to market products to them.

Consumers buy into these lifestyle brands as it allows them to express their values and opinions through the act of consuming. As Olins said, 'Branding enables us to define ourselves in terms of a shorthand that is immediately recognisable to the world around us.’

Instead of rebranding an existing product, I decided to create a new brand. I chose to do this because by starting with a clean slate, nobody could have any preconceived notions, and the task of communicating the brand’s values would be completely down to me, and as a graphic designer, it is my job to communicate information to an audience visually.

Throughout the first year of this course, I have been studying how visual language is used to communicate and I have applied what I’ve learnt to the practical aspects of this project. For example, when experimenting with typography, I took into consideration how to effectively communicate the personality of the brand, such as the use of serifs, kerning, and weight.

This project successfully encompasses what a lifestyle brand is through the use of graphic design. By creating charismatic illustrations for the labels which have been used on additional promotional materials, the brand piques the interest of a trendy young demographic, whilst elements such as the typography communicate the personality of the brand as being friendly and cool. The brand inserts itself into the existing lifestyle of health-conscious, environmentally friendly young hipsters whilst still remaining original and interesting.

What is the relationship between brands and consumer lifestyles? Essay

In my previous essay, we covered the history of branding and how it went from a mere technicality to a complex exploration of a human’s most intimate desires. In this essay, we will explore the relationship between consumer lifestyles and branding.

Consumer’s lifestyles are influenced by the brands they choose to engage with and,
correspondingly, branding is influenced by research into consumer lifestyles. They
have an intertwined relationship, both feeding off of each other. Lifestyle has a great impact on the behaviour of consumers and their brand preferences. Consumers tend to select brands that they consider "appropriate" for their self-image. In response,
companies tailor their brands to fit into consumers’ lifestyles. Everyday choices are used as a way of building self-identity. (Claudiu-Cătălin, Andreea 2014)

“Each individual strives to create a unique identity that is based on his choices,
background and past experiences. Brands can reinforce or supplement this identity by adding perceptual anchoring points that other people can relate to. For example, the main reason a man will buy a Rolex watch is not to prevent being late, but to show to others that he can afford such a watch.” (Claudiu-Cătălin, Andreea 2014)

Consumers use brands as a projection of how they see themselves and how they want others to see them. As Olins explains, “branding these days is largely about
involvement and association; the outward and visible demonstration of private and personal affiliation. Branding enables us to define ourselves in terms of a shorthand that is immediately recognisable to the world around us.” (Olins 2003) This is a widely accepted theory, with Bourdieu stating that individuals develop their own sense of self
from their upbringing and social relationships, and from the accumulation of social, economic and cultural capital, an individual determines their tastes, opinions and
dispositions. These tastes are used not only to determine one’s own preferences,
but to classify those around us. (Bourdieu, 1986)

It could be argued that quality is no longer of importance to many consumers who, instead, are only interested in the perceived qualities that come with owning a particular brand. For example in 2016, Supreme (a streetwear brand known for its graphic t-shirts) launched a simple clay brick with their brand logo stamped into it. It retailed for around
£30 and sold out immediately, with resales appearing on ebay for up to $1000 (Khomami, 2016). As one journalist put it, “In a world where the future is unstable, buying hyped-up clothing brings instant joy… To feel like part of the crowd – but to also
feel completely unique among your friends, since landing a Supreme item can be
difficult and the runs are highly limited” (Basil, 2020) Arguably, no one has use for a monogrammed brick, and it’s intention certainly wasn’t for building - instead, the act
of consumerism gives the participants something to be excited about as well as an
opportunity to ‘flex’ on their peers, particularly on social media.

Corporations are aware of the consumer’s desire to find identity through consumption, and as a result of this, many psychological studies have been funded by big businesses. Researchers aim to identify the hidden anxieties and desires of ordinary people in order to sell more products and generate more capital. “[Research] employs techniques designed to reach the unconscious or subconscious mind because preferences generally are determined by factors of which the individual is not conscious.... Actually in the buying situation the consumer generally acts emotionally and compulsively, unconsciously reacting to the images and designs which in the subconscious are associated with the product." (Cheskin, Packard 1957)

Harvey states that lifestyle brands are effective because they have a deep understanding of what their target audience wants to achieve. They understand the experiences that their audience wants, as well as the things that inspire them. Successful lifestyle brands do more
than just collect data on demographics - they examine every aspect of their audience until they find out exactly what motivates them. (Harvey, 2018)

It could be argued that due to globalisation and access to online shopping, the market is now over-saturated with choice. This leaves consumers with too many options for seemingly
identical products. “Choice fatigue is one reason so many people gravitate toward lifestyle
influencers on Instagram—the relentlessly chic young moms and perpetually vacationing 20-somethings—who present an aspirational worldview, and then recommend the products and services that help achieve it.” (Mull, 2019)

A rising awareness of the impact on environmental and human rights by manufacturing has led many consumers to become anti-corporate. (Klein, 2000) However, to maintain our comfortable modern lifestyles we must continue to consume products. Corporations
are aware of this shift in attitude and are using branding to align with political and ethical
ideologies in order to draw in consumers. “Europe's financial crisis has coincided with a desire to consume less alongside pressing environmental issues such as climate change this is to adapt their messages and innovative products for example by introducing green products”  (Davis 2009)

Even if people like your products, the values with which you align your brand can lose you customers. This was demonstrated in 2019 when razor company Gillette faced backlash against their campaign promoting ‘positive masculinity’, with many loyal customers threatening boycott. Piers Morgan tweeted, “I've used @Gillette razors my entire adult life but this absurd virtue-signalling PC guff may drive me away to a company less eager to fuel the current pathetic global assault on masculinity.” (Topping, Lyons and Weaver 2020) This further backs up the idea that it is no longer important to consumers that a product is of good quality; its branding must align with a consumer’s image of themselves.

However, there has been backlash against this sometimes transparent branding tactic; Corporations are aware of the importance of social issues to many consumers and there have been instances of them applying them to their branding without actually engaging in
the values they promote. For example, 

In 2014, high street fashion label Whistles launched a T-shirt featuring the slogan ‘this is what a feminist looks like’. Initially, the T-shirt was praised for promoting the women’s equality movement. However, it was shortly revealed that the garments were being made by Mauritian women who earnt just 62p an hour and were living in ‘prison-like conditions’. These women were, inarguably, oppressed.  “Laura Harvey describes the rise of ‘commodity feminism’: a term used to describe how some of the goals and language of feminism get taken up by companies and by advertising when they are trying to sell things. She continues to describe how using feminism to sell things or making feminism about consumerism can strip it of its politics.” (Hoskins, 2014)

So why do consumers, even those who are aware of the evils of consumerism,  engage in this behaviour? Perhaps it is for a sense of belonging in societies which are reporting high rates of loneliness. “Material possessions are no replacement for human relationships but do enrich social relationships in a variety of ways. In studies of subcultures, social groups cohere as they joined as they jointly reappropriate and use spaces and material and
cultural goods.” (Davis, 2013)

Reference list

1. Claudiu Cătălin, M., Andreea, P. (2014). Brands as a Mean of Consumer Self-expression and Desired Personal Lifestyle
2. Olins, W (2003) On Brand, Thames & Hudson p. 14
3. Bourdieu, P (1986) The Forms of Capital in J. Richardson Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, Greenwood Press
4. Davis, A (2013) Promotional Cultures, p.43
5. Davis, M (2009) The Fundamentals of Branding, p.18
6. Klein, N (2000) No Logo
7. Packard, V (1957) The Hidden Persuaders
8. Hoskins, T. (2014). The feminist T-shirt scandal exposes an entire system of exploitation. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/sustainable-fashion-blog /2014/nov/03/feminist-t-shirt-scandal-exposes-entire-system-exploitation-elle-whistles-fawcett-society [Accessed 5 Feb. 2020].
9. Bassil, R. (2020). The Supreme story: clothes shop or great artistic con-trick?. [online] The Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/supreme-story-clothes-shop-great-artistic- con-trick/ [Accessed 5 Feb. 2020].
10.  Topping, A., Lyons, K. and Weaver, M. (2019). Gillette #MeToo razors ad on 'toxic masculinity' gets praise – and abuse. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/ 15/gillette-metoo-ad-on-toxic-masculinity-cuts-deep-with-mens-rights-activists [Accessed 5 Feb. 2020].
11. Khomami, N. (2016). Red clay brick selling for up to $1,000 on eBay. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/30/red-clay-brick-selling-for-up-to-1000-on-ebay [Accessed 5 Feb. 2020].
12. Harvey, S. (2018). What is a lifestyle brand? When brands become a way of life…. [online] Fabrikbrands.com. Available at: https://fabrikbrands.com/why-lifestyle-brands-become-a-way-of-life/ [Accessed 5 Feb. 2020].

13. Mull, A. (2019). There Is Too Much Stuff. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/05/too-many-options/590185/ [Accessed 5 Feb. 2020].

What is Branding? Essay

This essay will discuss what branding means in a modern context, using evidence from historical practices as well as drawing from work discussing contemporary consumption of products. Whilst elements such as logos, advertisements and slogans are all part of the visual identity of a corporation, branding encompasses much more than that. In this essay, I will illustrate how branding went from a mere technicality to an integral part of 21st century life.

To understand the meaning of contemporary branding, we must recognise the effect of industrialisation and globalisation on the way we consume products today. According to the
Encyclopedia Britannica, for thousands of years, farmers marked their livestock with distinct symbols to signify ownership over it. This involved heating an iron rod, known as a branding iron and pressing it into the animal’s flesh to leave a mark. Over time, these markings became associated with different levels of quality in the meat sold at market. Consumers became loyal to particular ‘brands’ of meat as the markings reassured them they were buying a good, safe product. (Branding | property marking, n.d.)

Around the same period, craftspeople and artisans applied production marks to goods such as pottery to signify who made them and who they were made for. These were luxury
goods at the time and would only be owned by the most wealthy, particularly royals and aristocrats. Craftspeople marked their work partly out of pride at having created goods for such prestigious owners. This is an early example of branding as an indicator of status and wealth. (Munck and Lyna, 2016)

Around 1760, the industrial revolution began. Advancements in manufacturing processes meant goods such as pottery which were previously reserved for the wealthy were now able to be mass produced and thus, trade marks became more widely recognised. In 1790, the first patent was registered. Riezbos explains why this is important: “Through the use of patents, manufacturers could claim all rights to a certain procedure or ingredient.” (Riezebos, 2003)

The growing numbers of factory jobs saw a mass migration into cities by the working classes,
who up until this point had mostly lived as farmers and tradespeople, growing their own food and trading locally for other goods. This migration led to an increased demand for pre-packaged products, and developments in transportation such as railways meant that more products could be distributed nationwide. This resulted in the establishment of some of the earliest branded products. (The Rise Of Cities In The 18th Century, 2020)

As the industrial revolution continued on into the 1800s, branded products continued to
grow in popularity. This is in part due to the fact that, before pre-packaged and branded
products, quality of produce could fluctuate widely. Up until this point, most people bought
their goods at local markets and had limited choices, meaning they could easily be ripped off. Brand names and recognisable packaging reassured people that they were getting the same quality and quantity with every purchase.

Some of the most successful brands of this time were patented tonic drinks, including the now world dominating Coca-Cola. These drinks promised all sorts of health benefits, and a lack of access to medicine made them popular with consumers. As newspapers became easier to produce and circulate, many brands were also able to advertise their products, introducing the concepts of catch-phrases, logos and brand names to the masses.

“When ... Coca-Cola or The Quakers (of Oats fame) – started what we now call ‘branding’ in the commercializing world of the early 20th century, their focus was on exactly this: functional benefits. Brands for them were first and foremost a way to signify and guarantee superior quality. The idea was to physically distinguish their product from the competition and build a quality reputation, which would allow them to charge a premium.” (Kuehlwein, 2016)

The early 20th century saw the anthropomorphization and personification of brands. Previously, products had been sold based on merit alone. Due to the increasing numbers of different brands offering essentially the same thing, corporations had to find new ways
to push their products. Advertisements of this era began to focus on the consumers’ desires. Klein explains that what made early branding practice different from traditional salesmanship was that the market was now being flooded with mass-produced products which were almost indistinguishable from one another. Thus, competitive branding became necessary.
(Klein, 2000) 

It is important to note that whilst they aren’t the same, branding and advertising link closely and follow a similar narrative from their inception to what they are today. In the 1950’s advertising took a psychological approach and the idea of consumer groups was introduced. Brands now focused their efforts on socio-economic groups such as housewives or businessmen.

Around this point, branding became about social status. Brand name goods were a symbol of wealth and power, and less focus was placed on the quality of the product. Marketing tapped into people’s deeper psychological desires. (Packard, 1957) The late 60s and early
70s also saw the recognition of the ‘teen’ market segment - brands were now an important aspect of fitting in with your peers and signalling that you were a part of contemporary culture. Continuing throughout the rest of the 20th century, brands began to allude to wilder promises which realistically consumers knew they couldn’t deliver. They did this by further segmenting markets and tapping into psychological desires.

Today, brands are ingrained in people's sense of identity. Aligning yourself with brands is
a way to express opinions to your peers without saying anything. Branding is largely about involvement and association; the outward and visible demonstration of private and
personal affiliation. Perhaps we are so invested in brands because they make us feel less
alone; they allow us to belong to a tribe of sorts. (Olins, 2003)

Brands have qualities much like human personalities, and these are communicated through their visual language as well as their public relations. It has been said that people ‘vote with their dollar’, that is, people will only give money to companies which align with their own values. In an increasingly polarised political climate, many brands have further personified themselves and virtue signalled towards particular social movements such as environmentalism or feminism, and these movements have recognisable visual markers which many brands have begun to adopt. A brand is much more than a name on a product. It is a sense of identity and a reassurance that capitalism is your friend. (Klein, 2000)

Therefore, it can be concluded that modern day branding is about more than visual markers to signify information about production. Modern day branding is about using visual language to communicate to your customers what your brand represents. It is essentially virtue signalling to a specific demographic by using visual markers familiar to them.

Bibliography

1. Encyclopedia Britannica. n.d. Branding | Property Marking. [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/topic/branding-identification> [Accessed 11 March 2020].
2. Munck, B. and Lyna, D., 2016. Concepts Of Value In European Material Culture, 1500-1900. London: Routledge.
3. Riezebos, R., 2003. Brand Management. Harlow, England: Financial Times/ Prentice-Hall.
4. The British Library. 2020. The Rise Of Cities In The 18Th Century. [online] Available at: <https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/articles/the-rise-of-cities-in-the- 18th-century#> [Accessed 10 March 2020].
5. Kuehlwein, J., 2016. A Brief History Of Branding | Branding Strategy Insider. [online] Branding Strategy Insider. Available at: <https://www.brandingstrategy insider.com/a-brief-history-of-branding/#.XmjmO5P7SRs> [Accessed 11 March 2020].
6. Naomi Klein, No Logo 2000.
7. Wally Olins, On Brand, 2003.

Instagram

Social media is a key aspect of many modern brands. Through social media, brands can promote themselves for free, engage with their customers, offer customer support through comments and messages, post about events and promotions and many other things.

Stickers

I decided to make promotional stickers for the brand. The idea is that these will be included in multi-packs of the drink. My target demographic is trendy young people and I have noticed that a lot of them put stickers, sometimes from brands, on their laptops, phone cases, water bottles etc. This is basically free advertising for the brand, however it doesn't feel like advertising.

People don't like to feel as if they're being advertised to, so the logotype is subtly placed on the larger stickers.

Because the illustrations on the bottle are so stylised and fun, they make great stickers.

Bottle Lables

Variations of bottle labels: trying out different dimensions, colours and shapes (rectangle/ rounded).

I went with the rectangular ones on the white background because that shape looked better than the rounded one. On reflection, I think using coloured backgrounds would have made the product stand out better however I had to print these on a regular printer and the quality was significantly worse the more colour was used.

Note: i dont know why these images are horrible quality, i had so many issues uploading them!!!!