Invisible Branding
Posted by: Justin Ordman on: June 1, 2010
Ask a marketer their thoughts on branding without a name or a logo and you’re likely to get a quizzical look. But Argentine bank Banco Hipotecario took that idea and ran with it when they unveiled their sponsorship of Argentine soccer… err, excuse me, futbol… club Racing’s jersey. Actually, there wasn’t much to unveil because Banco Hipotecario took the peculiar approach of not including a logo or their name anywhere on the jersey. Instead, when the public got their first glimpse of the jersey during a match against Independiente, all they saw was Racing’s team colors and logo – with no sponsorship of any kind.
According to a study done by market research firm Yankelovich (and reported on here by the New York Times), people who live in urban areas see upwards of 5,000 ad impressions per day. That’s slightly more than 5 per minute, assuming the average person is awake for 16 hours. Of course, we’re all in some way contributing to that – I’m currently wearing a shirt branded with a familiar horse and player wielding a mallet (do I even need to say the name?), and my sneakers sport a Converse logo. Did you know jean designers brand themselves based on unique back pocket stitching? I certainly didn’t until I spent some time in retail. Even on my desk I see Dell, Post-It, ChapStick, Toshiba, Hard Rock (my favorite mug that can seemingly contain gallons of coffee at a time), Staples… and I don’t even have to turn my head.
We’ve become so accustomed to brands and logos and billboards and taglines and commercials that we automatically tune most of it out. They’ve become so ingrained in our daily lives that we hardly notice it anymore and just accept for the way things are. I remember a really cool internet meme which circulated several years back that took a photo of your average street and photoshopped out any indication of brand names, logos, or advertisements. The resulting image felt eerily empty. So as expected, Racing’s clutter-free jersey stood out next to Independiente’s sponsor infused one. But naturally, fans and players loved it.
Banco Hipotecario built their approach to sponsorship based on their motto: “Creator of Owners.” Instead of contributing to the copious amounts of branding in sports, they wanted to give the jersey back to its true owners – the fans and the players. But therein lies the question of how exactly does a brand find value in spending the sponsor money to not advertise themselves? Well Hipotecario banked (see what I did there??) on the word of mouth power of Racing fans, and the fact that this type of sponsorship had never been attempted before in professional futbol. When the players first hit the field, fans immediately wondered why no sponsors appeared on the jersey. Pretty soon word got out on Hipotecario’s approach to sponsorship (thanks to the internet and social media) and fans were overjoyed to have their jersey in its natural state. Hipotecario even released this video to help fans understand the reasons behind their decision. “After all,” they said, “isn’t it the goal of every brand to be loved by its people?” That’s certainly a question several brands should be asking themselves.
According to Banco Hipotecario, the resulting “sponsorship” led to the creation of three Facebook fan pages started by Racing fans and wide-ranging press coverage. Not bad for a brand looking to stand out by not standing out.
7 Responses to "Invisible Branding"
June 1, 2010 at 2:32 pm
I simply love this idea. I think the reason it can be successful is exactly what Hipotecario was hoping for; the consumers.
Due to social media, we can learn all about new ideas without ever even seeing them ourselves. I learn more from my friends than I do from any news station. Something like this is fresh and appreciated and people will talk.
I would certainly support a company choosing this route, simply because they are not so “in my face”.
This article was very well written and I’m glad to have read it.
June 2, 2010 at 10:07 am
Thanks for the comment! I would agree that consumers will lean more toward brands that aren’t so “in your face.” The catch-22 there being how does one get that level of support when you aren’t making yourself visibly known. Not every company has the budget to pull off something like Hipotecario, but there are certainly lessons to be learned that can be applied across all brands.
June 4, 2010 at 2:16 pm
True, but, I feel that the banks approach can only work a couple of times by a couple of different companies before their tactic goes moot. And then, Justin as you said before, businesses will find even fresher ways of getting their names out there to the consumers. Which in turn keeps the game fresh, clear, and simple, no puns intended…
As an employee of an independent musician, I like this approach to courting consumers, or ‘fans’. When you take away the typical marketing machine and make the public work to find you, they will have a stronger sense of loyalty and ownership over their relationship with you. This is a quality vs. quantity issue and I hope it works out better in the long run if you have a quality mind-set. This is a fun example, thanks for bringing it to my attention!
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June 1, 2010 at 11:57 am
I have yet to read anything today, that has captured my attenion longer than this article, and I work in an office with lots of reading…
Seemingly, corporate branding, namely the more subliminal type, has been looked down upon more and more as society pretends to react negatively towards advertisements everywhere. Hence the idea that advertisements are really in essence of our own doing, well, not a novice idea, but very strong.
Will there be a point though, where our actions will supercede our reactions in regards to disliking branding and finally campaign against a less advertised world?
June 2, 2010 at 11:43 am
I’ve always wondered myself whether public dissatisfaction toward the idea of advertising will result in less of it. However, advertisers will always find ways to appeal to these concerns and alter the way they reach their consumers. This change is even evident online as Facebook and Twitter are now sending targeted advertisements.
Whether or not people like being advertised to, it still works. And as long as it works, it’ll continue. It’s quite interesting though to see the different patterns throughout advertising history.