As the year draws to a close, I wanted to take a look in the rearview and highlight the brands that came out swinging. While there were many great rebrands and brand launches, not all of them won me over in the verbal department. There’s more to great brand work than a distinct logo and a beautiful visual system. I’m interested in what brands have to say and how their personality comes through in the work.
As for the best of brands round-up, I wish I could say I took a methodical approach to this list but it’s just not so. There are no set parameters or judging criteria. The common denominator for these five brands is that they all made me incredibly jealous. Simply put, I wish I came up with the ideas and wrote the words myself. Which for now, is the best barometer I have for passing judgment on brand work. So without further ado, let’s get into the top five brands of 2023 (listed in no particular order).
Marshmallow by Ragged Edge
With Marshmallow, Ragged Edge continues to show us how great rebrands are done. For starters, the strategy is clear – they know they serve people from different countries and backgrounds, so they found a way to make “difference” the cornerstone of their expression. Communicating to expat and immigrant customers from varying countries and with diverse backgrounds is no easy brief, but the messaging consistently delivers a welcoming, empathic and joyful tone that gets to the heart of what Marshmallow does and what people care about.
In someone else’s hands, I could easily see this copy taking a heavy-handed approach to empathy and falling into the well-trodden traps of “we’ve got you” and “here for every road on your journey.” Instead, they managed to keep the tone light, crisp and focused.
With a colorful and playful visual identity, I found the tonal choice to be spot on – it could have skewed more silly and fun, but it stayed on the side of trust and restraint. An all-around win for me.
BrightWild by Matchstic
BrightWild is a personalized travel platform that promises to help you “travel like you’ve been there.” While the full brand look and feel is well executed, I’d argue that the brand identity stands out more for its writing than anything else.
The client clearly had a specific kind of traveler in mind (reminiscent of the early Airbnb travel persona) and crafted a narrative that spoke to that person's sense of adventure and curiosity. The tone of voice remains consistent throughout the marketing executions, and the pacing of the copy is expertly delivered.
With iconic lines like “the kind of escape that requires no plan” and “get lost in the real world,” it’s easy to get drawn into the BrightWild world. The twist on popular phrases is simple and crisp, and creates a beautiful balance with the irreverent and candid photography.
The Subtext was lucky enough to get the inside scoop on this project when it launched from the Matchstic writer – read more here.
Bolt by Koto
With a name like Bolt, the mandate for quick and bold branding was built in from the start. As the Koto website states, the creative team aimed to deliver an expression that was “Bolt by name and by nature.” And that’s exactly what they accomplished.
With loud, in-your-face visual elements and a neon color palette, the copy had to create the right counterbalance. Employing lines with short alliteration and onomatopoeia, Koto crafted a verbal language that’s both high energy and efficient. While there was nothing particularly poetic or out of reach from a writing standpoint, I was really impressed by how hard-hitting the messaging was and how clearly I understood the product from the get-go.
To me, this is a great example of not overplaying your hand when there’s a lot of fun baked into a brand system.
Going by DesignStudio
I must admit, I was primed to be disappointed when this rebrand was announced. I’ve been a customer of Scott’s Cheap Flights for a few years and I always have a pang of sadness when a brand I love goes through a rebrand. Especially one as objectively bad and as scrappy as Scott’s. But that was the charm of it. It was no frills, completely homegrown and not trying to be anything but a cheap flight destination.
With a new name, a new look, and a whole new vibe, Going was born. After my initial WTF, I was enchanted and pretty blown away by the ease of the new brand identity. Starting with the name, I was immediately impressed (shocked might be a better word). How did they get the trademark, or maybe more appropriately, how much did they pay for it? Questions aside, there’s some real gems in this DesignStudio rebrand that make me (dare I say) an even bigger fan of the brand.
The brand idea “invite the unexpected” really set the tone for the creative and felt like an inspirational red thread that developed in the work in both obvious and subtle ways. Lines like “Don’t start with a destination in mind. Start with an open mind.” felt apt for a product experience that’s all about the hunt for good deals and the thrill of the next adventure.
A subtle tonal choice to use contractions and colloquialisms (i.e. things are lookin’ up) also felt smart to me. The transition from Scott sending deals to a corporate entity sharing deals could be jarring, but this casual tone made the transition have a softer landing.
Lastly, the use of the brand name in copy was really well executed and spot on from a strategic standpoint. Lines like “Get Going” are so simple yet embody the spirit of the brand. There's also about a dozen small copy moments throughout the product that I wish I could capture here, but just trust me when I say, the whole experience feels much more engaging. Thanks for not messing up a good thing, DesignStudio : )
Lab 71 by The Corner
Last but certainly not least is Lab71, a Cannondale sub-brand that’s designed to make the very best bikes for the very best cyclists. This one is a bit of an outlier because I couldn’t track down who did the brand work, and the assets I’m referencing in this post are less brand-specific and more campaign related. It appears that The Corner is responsible for the brand campaign so I’m just going to focus on that.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this work made me open-mouth gape like a dumbstruck Taylor fan when I first saw it. The copy is sophisticated, nuanced, and confident. It’s giving Apple in its heyday, in the best possible way. It’s just so dialed. Not to mention, the way the creative team infused the bike as part of the copy – so fresh and so damn cool.
When it comes to my own envy over creative work, this one tops the list for me. And I’m eagerly waiting for what comes next from this drool-inducing brand.
A final note.
There are a few agencies that seem to gobble up the best brand work and I’m consistently inspired by their output. The shortlist: Ragged Edge, Koto, DesignStudio, and For the People. They rarely miss, and I would argue, it’s because they have strong strategic teams and invest in great writers (please call me out if I’m wrong about this fact).
Collins, Porto Rocha and Center churn out incredible brand design month-after-month but I’ve yet to see a project this year that has much verbal impact. It’s clear they are design studios with a capital D focus on design-led brands. My prediction (or maybe hope) is that it will change in 2024 and we’ll see more beautiful rebrands with great writing at the center of the work.
Cheers to all the talented writers and creatives who contributed to these inspiring projects. Can't wait to see what 2024 brings!
About the author:
Carissa Justice is the founder of The Subtext and Nimble Creative
As the year draws to a close, I wanted to take a look in the rearview and highlight the brands that came out swinging. While there were many great rebrands and brand launches, not all of them won me over in the verbal department. There’s more to great brand work than a distinct logo and a beautiful visual system. I’m interested in what brands have to say and how their personality comes through in the work.
As for the best of brands round-up, I wish I could say I took a methodical approach to this list but it’s just not so. There are no set parameters or judging criteria. The common denominator for these five brands is that they all made me incredibly jealous. Simply put, I wish I came up with the ideas and wrote the words myself. Which for now, is the best barometer I have for passing judgment on brand work. So without further ado, let’s get into the top five brands of 2023 (listed in no particular order).
Marshmallow by Ragged Edge
With Marshmallow, Ragged Edge continues to show us how great rebrands are done. For starters, the strategy is clear – they know they serve people from different countries and backgrounds, so they found a way to make “difference” the cornerstone of their expression. Communicating to expat and immigrant customers from varying countries and with diverse backgrounds is no easy brief, but the messaging consistently delivers a welcoming, empathic and joyful tone that gets to the heart of what Marshmallow does and what people care about.
In someone else’s hands, I could easily see this copy taking a heavy-handed approach to empathy and falling into the well-trodden traps of “we’ve got you” and “here for every road on your journey.” Instead, they managed to keep the tone light, crisp and focused.
With a colorful and playful visual identity, I found the tonal choice to be spot on – it could have skewed more silly and fun, but it stayed on the side of trust and restraint. An all-around win for me.
BrightWild by Matchstic
BrightWild is a personalized travel platform that promises to help you “travel like you’ve been there.” While the full brand look and feel is well executed, I’d argue that the brand identity stands out more for its writing than anything else.
The client clearly had a specific kind of traveler in mind (reminiscent of the early Airbnb travel persona) and crafted a narrative that spoke to that person's sense of adventure and curiosity. The tone of voice remains consistent throughout the marketing executions, and the pacing of the copy is expertly delivered.
With iconic lines like “the kind of escape that requires no plan” and “get lost in the real world,” it’s easy to get drawn into the BrightWild world. The twist on popular phrases is simple and crisp, and creates a beautiful balance with the irreverent and candid photography.
The Subtext was lucky enough to get the inside scoop on this project when it launched from the Matchstic writer – read more here.
Bolt by Koto
With a name like Bolt, the mandate for quick and bold branding was built in from the start. As the Koto website states, the creative team aimed to deliver an expression that was “Bolt by name and by nature.” And that’s exactly what they accomplished.
With loud, in-your-face visual elements and a neon color palette, the copy had to create the right counterbalance. Employing lines with short alliteration and onomatopoeia, Koto crafted a verbal language that’s both high energy and efficient. While there was nothing particularly poetic or out of reach from a writing standpoint, I was really impressed by how hard-hitting the messaging was and how clearly I understood the product from the get-go.
To me, this is a great example of not overplaying your hand when there’s a lot of fun baked into a brand system.
Going by DesignStudio
I must admit, I was primed to be disappointed when this rebrand was announced. I’ve been a customer of Scott’s Cheap Flights for a few years and I always have a pang of sadness when a brand I love goes through a rebrand. Especially one as objectively bad and as scrappy as Scott’s. But that was the charm of it. It was no frills, completely homegrown and not trying to be anything but a cheap flight destination.
With a new name, a new look, and a whole new vibe, Going was born. After my initial WTF, I was enchanted and pretty blown away by the ease of the new brand identity. Starting with the name, I was immediately impressed (shocked might be a better word). How did they get the trademark, or maybe more appropriately, how much did they pay for it? Questions aside, there’s some real gems in this DesignStudio rebrand that make me (dare I say) an even bigger fan of the brand.
The brand idea “invite the unexpected” really set the tone for the creative and felt like an inspirational red thread that developed in the work in both obvious and subtle ways. Lines like “Don’t start with a destination in mind. Start with an open mind.” felt apt for a product experience that’s all about the hunt for good deals and the thrill of the next adventure.
A subtle tonal choice to use contractions and colloquialisms (i.e. things are lookin’ up) also felt smart to me. The transition from Scott sending deals to a corporate entity sharing deals could be jarring, but this casual tone made the transition have a softer landing.
Lastly, the use of the brand name in copy was really well executed and spot on from a strategic standpoint. Lines like “Get Going” are so simple yet embody the spirit of the brand. There's also about a dozen small copy moments throughout the product that I wish I could capture here, but just trust me when I say, the whole experience feels much more engaging. Thanks for not messing up a good thing, DesignStudio : )
Lab 71 by The Corner
Last but certainly not least is Lab71, a Cannondale sub-brand that’s designed to make the very best bikes for the very best cyclists. This one is a bit of an outlier because I couldn’t track down who did the brand work, and the assets I’m referencing in this post are less brand-specific and more campaign related. It appears that The Corner is responsible for the brand campaign so I’m just going to focus on that.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this work made me open-mouth gape like a dumbstruck Taylor fan when I first saw it. The copy is sophisticated, nuanced, and confident. It’s giving Apple in its heyday, in the best possible way. It’s just so dialed. Not to mention, the way the creative team infused the bike as part of the copy – so fresh and so damn cool.
When it comes to my own envy over creative work, this one tops the list for me. And I’m eagerly waiting for what comes next from this drool-inducing brand.
A final note.
There are a few agencies that seem to gobble up the best brand work and I’m consistently inspired by their output. The shortlist: Ragged Edge, Koto, DesignStudio, and For the People. They rarely miss, and I would argue, it’s because they have strong strategic teams and invest in great writers (please call me out if I’m wrong about this fact).
Collins, Porto Rocha and Center churn out incredible brand design month-after-month but I’ve yet to see a project this year that has much verbal impact. It’s clear they are design studios with a capital D focus on design-led brands. My prediction (or maybe hope) is that it will change in 2024 and we’ll see more beautiful rebrands with great writing at the center of the work.
Cheers to all the talented writers and creatives who contributed to these inspiring projects. Can't wait to see what 2024 brings!
About the author:
Carissa Justice is the founder of The Subtext and Nimble Creative
Further Reading
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