Think Like A Visual Designer; Act Like A Brand
- Writer for DDI on Medium
- May 2, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: May 15
The tourism industry in Trinidad and Tobago has a unique advantage because we’re living in an era where experiences matter! This means it’s never “not a branding thing”, OK, Tobago House of Assembly?
Recalling the Reward, AD said humor wasn’t part of the plan. I get why you decided against making a splash. But when you understand how brand personality sets you apart, it’s easier to ignore ridicule and embrace what makes you stand out.
As it relates to ‘the experience’ you’re trying to preserve for tourists, you might be in the dark about how layered that experience is. Most companies in Trinidad and Tobago lack clarity on what comprises their special sauce. But because you shied away from something they have to be inauthentic about, I took the liberty to demonstrate how to embrace visual chaos, imperfection, and conflict to stand out, by redesigning the original ‘Shark Bounty Flier’.
LET YOUR FREaK FLAG FLY
Let’s say, for example, the THA wants to be straightforward and funny about maintaining a balance between human life and ocean life in the hunt for the shark involved in the April 26th incident.
To prove that being “straightforward and funny” is how they naturally express themselves, context will be needed.
Example A
In this hypothetical situation, the Tobago House of Assembly believes the government of Trinidad and Tobago is too buttoned-up for an arm of the THA that deals with people’s experiences. Admittedly, an approach like this would feel bland for a b2c company and fly below the radar of capturing people's attention. Additionally, when there is an authentic reason for the way you express yourself, you don’t half-ass it by sounding and looking like the very thing you’re trying to distance yourself from.
Especially, if at the very least, you want to stand out for it.
Example B
When you want to promote awareness of an issue and motivate change in a straightforward but lighthearted way, satire ("the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.") is the best vehicle to balance both personalities and prove your point through whom your message offends.
In this redesigned version of ‘The Shark Bounty Flier,’ the Tobago House of Assembly is straightforward about the consequences for their target audience if they join the hunt, but humorous about the main goal.
We can’t control what people find funny, but we can surely lean into it. -Ciji Shippley
26K plus people found ‘A reward for a shark’ outlandish and funny. By blowing up the juxtaposition of an inexperienced person hunting a shark and the reward for the killing of the shark, the THA owns its secret sauce, flips the narrative, and automatically draws a line in the sand between them and the rest of the government.
BOOK THE BRAND CONDUCTOR
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