Brands That Light Our Fire
The traditional idea of a brand can be defined as a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes one seller's product or service from those of others in the market. A brand is supposed to encompass the overall experience and perception that consumers have of a company, product, or service.
But here at Helix, we don’t think about brands in the traditional school of thought.
No, no.
In our minds, brand identity is based on the same characteristics that define people as individuals. For instance, each person walking the earth has their own identity and vision. And just like people, brands are uniquely defined by the way they move through the world. The way they behave. How they do things, what they contribute to the market, how they make folks feel. If and how they keep their promises. What their standard of quality is. How they handle problems. At what capacity they can engage emotionally with others. Connection.
A brand is so much more than a color palette, a font, or a logo — it’s a way of being. And while great design is an important aspect of a brand, a logo is just a face to the name.
Read below for a short list of brands that light our fire in a big way and why.
Liquid Death
“Murder Your Thirst”
First off, who doesn’t want to drink water from a can called Liquid Death written in black letter script? Sign us up. Liquid Death is a testament to the fact that a logo doesn’t have to immediately give away what the company does. If you have not seen or heard of Liquid Death, you wouldn’t know it was water just by glancing at the can or the logo. It looks more like a heavy metal energy drink or beer.
Why do we love Liquid Death? Because Mike Cessario did something that others have failed to do: make drinking water look badass. Because let's be honest… there isn’t anything particularly riveting about drinking water. Liquid Death also sells killer merch. They created a water brand with a message people want to wear on their bodies.
Is Desani selling merch? Arrowhead? Fuji? I’ve never in my life seen a person wearing a Desani hoodie. Don’t want to, either.
Liquid Death has a killer come up story, too. Marketing guru Mike Cessario shot a $1500 commercial and put it on Facebook before he ever launched the project, just to see the response he’d get. People loved it. Today that brand is worth $700 mil.
Alani Nu
“Whether you want to hit your last rep, hold your next handstand, or balance your hormones, we want to be beside you.”
Alani brings a beautiful and soft camaraderie to the fitness world that targets mostly women, although men enjoy the product line too. Alani carries health and wellness supplements with products ranging from branded fanny packs to protein powders and pre workouts. But what makes Alani special is the connection in their messaging, color palette, and voice.
Alani wants you to know that they understand that working out is tough but being strong is the goal. If Alani was a person, she would be that super jacked friend who always texts you an hour before the workout to make sure you’ll be there like you said you would.
Not only is Alani the really nice girl who kills it in the gym, her social media presence is killer, insightful, and motivating. The brand is bright and juicy and energetic. Plus, they just make really good products. Want to try the best damn whey protein you’ve ever had? Give this one a whirl.
Kill Crew
“Everyone’s got something to kill.”
Kill Crew, a martial arts clothing and equipment brand, brings mental health to the forefront with their messaging and mission. While appearing aggressive and masculine, the brand’s message is the thing that unites us all — every single person on this planet has some kind of mental health thing going on. We all have demons to slay. Some are small, some are large. And the Kill Crew wants you to kill your demons in their clothes and with their equipment.
Kill Crew makes people feel strong, capable. In control. Like they can actually win any battle they are facing, on or off the mat. And that’s what makes this brand a fan fav at Helix.
Haustile
Haustile is a small, all-women owned tile production company located in Nashville, Tennessee. This small business partners with designers to create amazing, small batch works of art that become affordable due to the way they print designs. They use high grade porcelain tile and only manufacture upon ordering, ensuring loss costs stay low and they don’t throw anything away.
Haustile is hellbent on making tile fun and interactive and breaking the mold on boring flooring. We love a great product/service, and we also love the design of the brand itself. Their website is absolutely killer, the customer service is legit, and they always put their people first.
I remodeled my bathroom using ‘Palm Life’ as the floor tile and posted it on IG when I was done. The owner messaged me directly on Instagram to tell me how rad it looked.
They are those kinds of people. And for that, we have to have Haustile on the list. They walk their talk and then some.
We Could Go On Forever
We are passionate about brands, and I could easily make a series of this blog and expand on that series for the rest of my lifetime — but I digress. In conclusion, brands are amazing digital identities that consume much of our brain space here at Helix. We are obsessed. And we would love to help you build yours. If you are in the market to build an impactful brand that scales with advertising, we could be a match made in heaven.
