Genuine Hero Brands.

I got an email here last week, if I wanted to come and tell you something today, I thought I would find something I have lying around, that I could run from here today. And one of the pre-reviews, it's about how we work in ContraPoint and what we put aside when we work with brands and designer brands. So that's what I wanted to tell you about. And we have been through a very, very long process around this, defining what branding is. That's where you start, right? And we have come to the conclusion that what means something to us at ContraPoint is what we call Hero Brands. That is, creating what we call Hero Brands. If I could get this to run. There. And that's something like this, that you both have to talk to your brain and your heart when you create these brands. And you have to be relevant in all the touchpoints at all times and all this. And you have to build these meaningful experiences across touchpoints and blah, blah, blah. And then you come to this with what branding is really for something that comes to the picture. And that is this with being able to do things differently and not just follow the market leader that everyone does. And then... We have supported Simon Sinek, who many of you probably know, who has this thesis that you don't buy what you do, but only why you do it. Well. And that was what I had thought about telling you about. And then I thought, oh, I've had enough of this. It's too boring. And who wants to listen to something like that? I don't want to. Because it's such a common commodity that we all go and struggle with. And it's not just about what we do. It's about what we do. And so that's why I'd rather tell you something about what's on the scene right now and what it is, what should I say, that challenges me. Beyond all this. But more down to the nerd, that is, down to the professionalism, you could say. What are some of the things we're struggling with? Or that I'm struggling with? And now it's like this. I was very young and was, how can I say, immersed in such an education in which letters were drawn. And so I'm deeply seeing just a letter drafts. That's what I'm doing. And that's what I'm recording. And I can see through my long experience that that's what it's about. It's all about branding fees. Fine with that, but when it comes to pieces, it's all about the letters. And why is it like that? And why is it like that that letters draw the time we live in? They hit so precisely into the spirit of time, if you can say it like that. Zeitgeist, which I think is a great expression. And which I myself use all the time in everything I do. I try all the time to think about this with the spirit of time. And when it comes to letters, Edward, that's me. And I understand that the way I've learned to draw letters, is to draw readable letters. And all that street, that's not me. And this is my biggest challenge when I do what I do. It's to balance character and functionality in all writing. And why is it like this with this writing work? Why the hell is it so important? And that's because letters, like so many other things, are perhaps what we use the most without thinking about it. Or not so much. But it's probably one of the things we use the most. And out in the world there is an enormous increase in the use of letters. And in reality, when you think about how big this use-flag is, it's strikingly few who actually deal with the genuinity of the letter itself. And, what should I say, the archetype. And my point is, now it has been like this in Konzerpunkt, that right back from this project in 1996, where we drew this DSB-script, then this thing about drawing letters when we built identities, has been an embedded discipline. It's something we've only done when we've been able to get to it. And we know many of them. And all of these have confirmed to us that here, here is something we can do that so many others can't. And that's one of the ways we have, what should I say, in all transparency in Konzerpunkt, built our judgement, that is in the highest degree on letters. Because out in the world we meet design companies all the time, branding companies all the time. And there are not a few of them who draw letters. If they finally do, they order them somewhere, from someone who can. But it's not something they, what should I say, and thus, when they do it, they let go of the task. But getting it built into the identity, that's what we've fought a lot with. And now it's like this, that you claim that the logo is dead. And it is. Because then we also know, because one of the things that makes you think that the logo is dead is because the letters here, in these cases, tell the whole story, tell the whole identity. There are no logos here, whether it's DSB or Dansk Bank. We know exactly where we are when we go into it. And it's this, creating meaningful places of residence at the moment, that you are simply able to do that. Even though it's not colors. Just the letters alone, then we can clearly identify the sender. That's why this is so strong. And you know that, Christina. And now it's just to show you what it is, what should I say, all this take with the letters. It's basically what has made us in Konzerpunkt, have come out into the world and work. Otherwise, I don't think we would have come that far. And now I'll just show you some of the projects we've done in the course of time. This has Christina been a... She may have the lead in this project, which is a jewelry brand in Japan, which is also built on a typography, which has been part of making this into a mega-brand out there. Very, very successful. At the moment we are working from Nissan, and developing new types of writing that again make this, this brand can become relevant and welcome in these touchpoints, where you interact with the customer. Yes. It's such a global typeface that should be able to work in 147 languages all over the world and give Nissan a one-way communication across all markets. We have done the same for Datsun, which is a sub-brand for Nissan, which is such a young, what should I say, a foreign-born, but also a young, what is it called, an entry brand for first-time car buyers. Where we have also made a promising writing family that is being rolled around the world. And not least, here at the end we have been working with Infinity, which is also a sub-brand for Nissan, which, like Lexus is for Toyota, so is Infinity for Nissan their luxury car. And we have also created a new identity and a new type of writing and writing family that makes them get a unique voice, you could say, across their markets. Just like in another big Japanese company called Denso, which is one of the world's largest companies in general, which makes very expensive equipment, where we have also made a type of writing for them. And then they also make cars, they build components for cars. And here we help them find out how types of writing should be able to be better readable within their dashboards and instruments and such. All of it is very exciting. But back to this thing with the sight-guide, because what the hell is this? And now it is like this, I was trained as a classical architect and classical writer. And that is why I say I design readable types of writing, because at the academy where I was educated, it was very, very, like, wow, watch out, right? Very tricky, all together. And a G was a G, and you must not draw next to it. And then, we were also taught all this with how much writing and architecture, now it was at the art school, how much writing and architecture always, as the two dominant arts have drawn time through the history of the world. And I think that is an interesting phenomenon, because the letters are so close together with the buildings, when you look up through time, right? First in the Roman letters, the Roman letters, several hundred years later in the round-bou style, the Cancellerasca with those handwritings, that completely followed the architectural style. Later in the Gothic, where everything became vertical, and very narrow and high, right from clothing to architecture to letters, to the Baroque, where it is the first time, we experience manuscripts in typography, because it is about contrast, it is about this opulent expression. And I think it is very exciting to see how the hell, that is, you can get a text in a book to resemble a facade, right? Later on in Rococo, where everything becomes very feminine and very refined, and very easy, architecture and letters follow each other. Also, not least later in the New Classicism, where this great contrast comes in, also with lathered, water-based, and so on. The new Antigua, which again, is completely connected to architecture. Later we come up in the period of confusion, the end of the 18th century, where everything was allowed, and you did the whole industrialization, which made you have to start advertising for your products, and thus create new needs for new types of writing, and so on. In the Jugend style, not least Art Nouveau, where everything became organic, and very vulgar in reality, or in the Decor style again, how the connection is so clear. To the constructivism, the Russian constructivism, where the letters became completely square, right? And to Bauhaus, and to, we could go on, to functionalism. But look, from here, from here something happens. And that was, so to speak, what would be my point, that after 1930, what happened with writing? Because, we know, we know architecture, it has developed, right? But what happened is, that writing and architecture here, the last 100 years, have left each other, in my opinion. Now they have been together for a thousand years, or two, two thousand years, and now they are starting to leave each other. And what we see is, that if you look at architecture there, just in the Renaissance, and the letters that we still use from that time, then architecture has taken a completely, how should I say, a turn, or an upturn. And there has been an, what should I say, innovative development within architecture, which has not happened within writing. There are not, I mean, these two types of writing here, there are probably some who can see the difference, there are 600 years in between. And why is it like that? What is it that is doing this, that within all other art forms, we have become so developed? And one of my points is here, that, that, that, what should I say, that big complex I was drawn to, this thing of drawing letters, which were letters. It has become a, what should I say, it is a heavy millstone that you hit around, because, we can see that around the world too, when you draw, writing, today you can get to smile with songs from, there are drawn and spread out, but there are not any of us who can see the difference, they are all the same, largely all of them. And what is it that makes, that we do not get on with this? We know that, when it comes to branding, now it is like that, the letters you draw, we draw them only as some kind of exclusive letters, it is not license letters, you can go in and buy. It is someone who is, involved in creating a brand, and building a brand. And we know this, how the development is going, when you build a brand, from something very static, and controlled, and predictable, and one-sided, and all that, then today it is about the opposite, it is about entertaining, it is about surprising, and changing, all the time, and being present, when you are present. And that, then you could think, well, why the hell, what about the writing? Where is it? And, when we look at, when we look at, the writing that is being developed today, now this, I mean, I don't know, is this completely, crazy, compared to where you come from? It is just what attracts me, a lot, right? So that is why I, focus so much on this, because I think it is interesting. So Roboto, which is, Google's writing, which is developed together with all this, material design, and you probably know it, many of you, it is super good, in many ways, it is readable, it is functional, and it knows everything it needs, and so on. But when you look at it, together with, the hell, you can wonder again, about, is this what has happened, in the last 60 years, within the writing culture? And, now this, this was Google, if we then look at Apple, in the same way, they have developed, a new writing, called San Francisco, which they now use, in all their applications, and, where you again, think, hmm, okay, could it not be done, a little bit differently? And even these writings, are developed, so with a sea, of variations, so in different weights, and widths, and so on. And when you compare them, and look at them, a little closer, then it confirms, in this way, confirms, at least in my, uh, opinion, of why the hell, nothing more happens. If you go further, and look at, beyond the writings, at logos, uh, now we say, the logo is dead, and that is it, because then we also, and this is perhaps, one of the things, that also confirms, that the logo, is dying. Namely, that, that, uh, so many, they fall into the same way, and do it on, that you almost, must not rock with ears, so where it, where it, when it goes high, then it is a color, that does it, but the letter, in itself, is completely, so, slender, right? Impressive, I think, very impressive. Uh, and it is, this with, that, when you have a great influence, like Google, and, Apple, and some of the others, then follow the others, right? Is it one of their new logos? Yes. It is one of their new logos, which, uh, was introduced here, the other day. And I think, uh, and it should, now it should not sound, as if there is an old man, here, who is bitter, and angry, but, but anyway, I get, so, a little, sad, that, that one cannot, challenge this, a little more, right? Oh, thank you. and, when you look, that is, it is not only in the letters, well, now you see, now it is Instagram's, new identity here, where you, again, think, I think, okay, it is not because, Instagram was, special, so aesthetic, or, but it did have an expression, it had an expression, that was different, and, And now it falls into the same generic model, where you can't rock with your ears. The whole thing should be like that. And then it's just this colored background. And I will add that there is a lot of it in the way it is shown in digital media, how it is animated and so on. But the whole expression is stereotyped and, how should I say, expressionless, in the deepest sense. What was it that happened to me and to us when we were working? Because when you look at this Nissan project, just to take one of them, you think to yourself, what is it that just came up? What is it? And I must admit, when you are in these projects, where there are so many... I mean, it should be able to work in all cultures, it should be able to work all over the world, in all countries, all languages. And then it's this, that when you build these, how should I say, big, or at least expanded brands, then there are a hell of a lot of people sitting and deciding whether this is what we should or shouldn't do. And in this case, there are... I mean, I don't know. There are many hundreds of people who have to agree that now it is the type of writing Nissan is going to bring out to the whole world. It's a huge decision for them. And it's a Japanese company, which means that everything is democratic. Everyone should vote, everyone should be heard. And then it can... And that's what my point is in reality here, that it is what sets the limits for development. Because if I had, or we had, drawn a G that was a bit different, then everyone would say, well, that G, that's fine, that writing there, but that G, we have to make up, because it's not a G. Or think, if you were in Peru or Indonesia, you would think, it's not a G. So it doesn't work. So we have to go into... I don't know, where am I? I don't know why that's coming. So we have to go into the archetype. We have to go in and hit the archetype. And that's what I think is so fucking horrible. Why can't we challenge that archetype more than we do as designers? And that's... That's it. What should I say? That's what I'm fighting with all the time. And trying to get our audience to accept that you can see... That you can see differently in things. Now it's not... You could say, I haven't come quite far with... No, I have to change that. But that's why you can fight with it, right? So that's just it, I would say. There wasn't any more in it.