Advisory: Eduarda Nieto
Course: Art Direction 101 by Aprender Design U.S.
Whiff
The Ask: Come up with a pet brand based on one of the brand archetypes and art direct/design its branding.
The Idea: Whiff, a 90s inspired pet portraiture studio.
Ideation Process
To start the pet shop discovery process, Duda provided some thought starters: what if you made your pet shop specialized for a particular animal or product? Could it be a high-end lifestyle product, or a high-end, high quality lifestyle shop? How about an app or service?
I decided to go down the service route and uncovered an insight about the pet photography: professional pet portraitures often diminishes a pet’s personality. It sometimes feels a bit too serious, and they often follow a pattern: plain solid color background or nature shoot with either a blur or a vignette around the edges. Where could pet owners go to capture their pets fun and unique personalities without the same old seriousness or look to the photos?
With that in mind, the brand archetype that matched my business idea the most was The Jester. I could see my brand being lighthearted, fun, and playful. A photo service that ultimately brings joy and excitement to pet lovers looking to capture their pets in their best angles.
Here’s my brand break down:
- Who: Our target audience includes Gen Z and Millennial pet owners who are passionate about their pets and seek fun and unique photography experiences to capture their pets' individuality.
- Why:
- Mission: Our mission is to capture the unique personalities of pets through vibrant and playful glamour shots, creating lasting memories for pet owners.
- Why does the company exist?: We exist to bring joy and laughter to pet owners by providing a fun and creative way to highlight their beloved pets.
- Why is it important for someone?: It's important for pet owners to use our service because we offer a unique and personalized experience that celebrates the individuality of their pets. Our portraits aren’t like other photos; they are pieces of art that reflect the special bond between pets and their owners.
- What: We specialize in crafting 90s glamour style pet portraits tailored to your pet's unique personality, incorporating customized themes that reflect their individuality. To take it one step further, we also offer creative editing, where we take your pet to a whole other world!
- How: We stand out in the saturated pet portraiture market through our use of humor, color, and photography style. While other studios may focus on traditional and serious portraits, we infuse our portraits with vibrant colors and playful elements that bring out the fun-loving nature of pets. This sets us apart and makes our portraits truly one-of-a-kind piece.
- Words and phrases that come to mind: Colorful, Whimsical, Fun, Vibrant, One-of-a-Kind, Kitsch, Out-of-this-world
Introducing Whiff
Whiff is a pet portraiture studio specializing in highlighting pets' unique personalities through vibrant and quirky 90s-inspired glamour shots.
Final Brand Presentation
Whiff was featured on Aprender Design U.S.’s Instagram. Click here to see the post.
Future Plans
For our final presentation, James Taylor, The Global Head of Design at TBWA\Media Arts Lab gave each student critique. Here's what I would like to do to push this branding further based on his feedback:
- Don't give away the business idea by blatantly saying what Whiff is. Is there some way I could play with copy to bring an extra kick to this branding?
- Experiment with other mockups, like social media posts, a storefront sign, and branded swag to bring Whiff to life!
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Advisory
Eduarda Nieto
Art Direction, Graphic Design, Copywriting, and Brand Strategy
Libbe Phan