Branding in music has always been around. Great logo marks for bands have been a staple for decades (AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and even The Beatles) but as our visual culture evolves, as does the need for consistent branding in day-to-day communication from musician to music lover and consumer. Tons of bands use visual identity and branding to present themselves to the world in a consistent aesthetic approach that engages recognition from their fan base. Let’s face it though, just as in most industries, some artists simply execute better.
I know, this isn’t only the choice of the artist; it takes an extremely hard working team from legal, to management, to record label to help present the consistent brand of an artist. But some artists just get it. There are several emerging artists that execute their brand in an amazing way. Pictured below are examples of new(ish) artists that are immediately recognizable from the look they present to the world. The XX and Imagine Dragons show that, while having amazing music helps, so does being instantly recognized across all platforms.
But one artist has always created a “complete look” with all of the bands he has been a part of, Jack White. His first band, The White Stripes, carried a strong ideal of what a consistent brand looks like, releasing 7 albums, 2 DVDs, and tons of printed material with the same red, black and white colors. The band performed live in different combinations of those colors. But as amazing as The White Stripes were presented through their constant artistic approach, Jack White (the identifier of a great music brand) continues to strive to present himself, and his music, as a whole. His EP covers, album cover, website, print promotion and video production gives the Jack White brand an amazing refresh and simple, straight forward style. His roadies dress in black suits with blue ties. His band dresses in powder blue (and play instruments that are powder blue) to embrace the rawness and beauty of the brand through visual identity on stage.
As album sales have become less of a direct profit for musicians, presenting themselves in the most visually pleasing ways gets people listening to their music, buying albums and merchandise, and, most importantly, fills the seats in venues across the world.
– Submitted by Brad Bond, Creative