Third Love Verbal Identity
On your body, off your mind.
Bras and underwear are a fun topic. I might be showing my immaturity here, but I can get down with butts and boobs being the subject du jour. But Thirdlove was looking for something with depth that could speak to their growing assortment of products and evolving customer base. They had made waves as the antithesis of Victoria Secret – undergarments made for women, not the male gaze – and gained a loyal following over their game-changing t-shirt bra (seriously, it slaps). But over the years, new competitors popped on the scene and stole the show (Parade, Aerie, Girlfriend Collective, and so on). Thirdlove was ready for a fresh change of clothes – a shedding of the old bra, if you will.
The Backstory
I joined the Character SF team (the agency was acquired by Dentsu and is now defunct…RIP) to lead the verbal identity work for the project. I worked closely with strategy and design as we brainstormed new territories for the Thirdlove brand to play in. Should they edge it up? Should they lean harder on their soft sophisticated vibe? After an exhaustive brand strategy phase where the team led roundtable discussions, spoke with customers, stakeholders, and leadership and did a lengthy audit of the competitive set, a single purpose rose to the top. Uncomfortable is unacceptable. This straightforward yet bold stance was the jumping off point for the creative to follow.
The Verbal Identity
After playing with a few different tonal styles, we landed on a voice that struck a balance between where Thirdlove had been (approachable, inclusive, slightly playful) to where they wanted to go (confident, evocative, irreverent). When creating voice attributes, I always like to think of them as ingredients – what attributes give us a good, satisfying base and what attributes add the flavor that will make it extra yummy and memorable.
Being approachable is Thirdlove’s base ingredient and it’s what they’ve built their voice on for 10 years. Admittedly, I don’t love this attribute, as it lacks specificity, but it was an important piece of the brand’s heritage that felt like a good through line to their next chapter. Our version of confidence relied on a cool self-assurance. A voice that didn’t need to shout to be heard.
The evocative and irreverent attributes represent the spice – they give us an opportunity to craft something more ownable and interesting. I was inspired by the visceral element of wearing undergarments. Everyone knows that feeling when you take your bra off at the end of the day or when you reach for your favorite pair of cotton undies. It just feels satisfying and often triggers an audible response – a sigh, a breathy “ahhhh” or maybe just an unwinding of tension between your shoulder blades. How can we put that feeling into language?
Lastly, a hint of irreverence gives us permission to say things a bit differently. Instead of “Comfort you can count on,” we can say something like “Better than jeans fresh out of the dryer.” We swapped “The bra with 50,000 5-star reviews” to “Name a bra with more 5-star reviews. We’ll wait.” It’s informal and unstuffy. It doesn’t take the subject of underwear too seriously.
The Takeaway
Throughout the verbal identity process, we wanted to communicate that the best kind of underwear is the kind you don’t have to think about. It shouldn’t tug, pinch, or fold. And it shouldn’t warrant a negative self-image. It should just feel good. This focus on feeling was the cornerstone of our messaging and proved to be a big enough idea to flex and stretch in many ways – both tonally and visually.
The Final Note
The Thirdlove team knew the importance of messaging in building a brand, something you don’t always get on rebrand projects. They pushed the work in meaningful ways, always pointing out places where we weren’t living up to the voice or when we could be sharper in our POV. They wholeheartedly adopted the work and it has been satisfying to see some of it out in the world. Ultimately, they ran with what they could without sacrificing the tried-and-true lines they know get clicks.
If I’m being totally honest, I’m always slightly disappointed that brands don’t take more risks once they get into execution mode. The big swings and fun ideas get watered down through approval rounds, leaving opportunities to connect or differentiate unfulfilled. It’s our job to give the best ideas we can and see how the chips fall. As Don Draper perfectly points out, “That’s what the money's for!”
If you’re interested in seeing more work my studio did for Thirdlove, check out our case study on their Valentine’s Day campaign.
Credits:
Principal: Tish Evangelista
Creative Director: Brooke Willis
Art Director: Elaan Bourn
Senior Designer: Brandi Steele
Strategist: Kim Mackenzie
Third Love Verbal Identity
On your body, off your mind.
Bras and underwear are a fun topic. I might be showing my immaturity here, but I can get down with butts and boobs being the subject du jour. But Thirdlove was looking for something with depth that could speak to their growing assortment of products and evolving customer base. They had made waves as the antithesis of Victoria Secret – undergarments made for women, not the male gaze – and gained a loyal following over their game-changing t-shirt bra (seriously, it slaps). But over the years, new competitors popped on the scene and stole the show (Parade, Aerie, Girlfriend Collective, and so on). Thirdlove was ready for a fresh change of clothes – a shedding of the old bra, if you will.
The Backstory
I joined the Character SF team (the agency was acquired by Dentsu and is now defunct…RIP) to lead the verbal identity work for the project. I worked closely with strategy and design as we brainstormed new territories for the Thirdlove brand to play in. Should they edge it up? Should they lean harder on their soft sophisticated vibe? After an exhaustive brand strategy phase where the team led roundtable discussions, spoke with customers, stakeholders, and leadership and did a lengthy audit of the competitive set, a single purpose rose to the top. Uncomfortable is unacceptable. This straightforward yet bold stance was the jumping off point for the creative to follow.
The Verbal Identity
After playing with a few different tonal styles, we landed on a voice that struck a balance between where Thirdlove had been (approachable, inclusive, slightly playful) to where they wanted to go (confident, evocative, irreverent). When creating voice attributes, I always like to think of them as ingredients – what attributes give us a good, satisfying base and what attributes add the flavor that will make it extra yummy and memorable.
Being approachable is Thirdlove’s base ingredient and it’s what they’ve built their voice on for 10 years. Admittedly, I don’t love this attribute, as it lacks specificity, but it was an important piece of the brand’s heritage that felt like a good through line to their next chapter. Our version of confidence relied on a cool self-assurance. A voice that didn’t need to shout to be heard.
The evocative and irreverent attributes represent the spice – they give us an opportunity to craft something more ownable and interesting. I was inspired by the visceral element of wearing undergarments. Everyone knows that feeling when you take your bra off at the end of the day or when you reach for your favorite pair of cotton undies. It just feels satisfying and often triggers an audible response – a sigh, a breathy “ahhhh” or maybe just an unwinding of tension between your shoulder blades. How can we put that feeling into language?
Lastly, a hint of irreverence gives us permission to say things a bit differently. Instead of “Comfort you can count on,” we can say something like “Better than jeans fresh out of the dryer.” We swapped “The bra with 50,000 5-star reviews” to “Name a bra with more 5-star reviews. We’ll wait.” It’s informal and unstuffy. It doesn’t take the subject of underwear too seriously.
The Takeaway
Throughout the verbal identity process, we wanted to communicate that the best kind of underwear is the kind you don’t have to think about. It shouldn’t tug, pinch, or fold. And it shouldn’t warrant a negative self-image. It should just feel good. This focus on feeling was the cornerstone of our messaging and proved to be a big enough idea to flex and stretch in many ways – both tonally and visually.
The Final Note
The Thirdlove team knew the importance of messaging in building a brand, something you don’t always get on rebrand projects. They pushed the work in meaningful ways, always pointing out places where we weren’t living up to the voice or when we could be sharper in our POV. They wholeheartedly adopted the work and it has been satisfying to see some of it out in the world. Ultimately, they ran with what they could without sacrificing the tried-and-true lines they know get clicks.
If I’m being totally honest, I’m always slightly disappointed that brands don’t take more risks once they get into execution mode. The big swings and fun ideas get watered down through approval rounds, leaving opportunities to connect or differentiate unfulfilled. It’s our job to give the best ideas we can and see how the chips fall. As Don Draper perfectly points out, “That’s what the money's for!”
If you’re interested in seeing more work my studio did for Thirdlove, check out our case study on their Valentine’s Day campaign.
Credits:
Principal: Tish Evangelista
Creative Director: Brooke Willis
Art Director: Elaan Bourn
Senior Designer: Brandi Steele
Strategist: Kim Mackenzie