Yesterday, I published a post promoting the Simply Summer... Fashionably Fall event coming up at Neiman Marcus on August 24 benefiting the Turtle Creek Recovery Center. I got several comments and emails about the artwork used for this event. The main thrust of the comments was "What the heck is that thing?"A charitable blogger with a wicked sense of humor quipped "(I think) this is one of the ancient and rare breeds of Pinhead People. They were last seen centuries ago, with Bigfoot. They resided in icy climates.... relying heavily on fringed wraps. Tim Burton has fashioned his movie characters after them."
Apparently when you are looking at the post on your mobile phone or the invite is reduced down for Facebook, this abstract art becomes hard to properly visualize, especially from the neck up. And this got the Marketer in me thinking... is it worth it to be artsy and cool at the sacrifice of clear communication?
A representative from Lafayette 148 New York solved the mystery by letting me know that "The image on the invitation you received is our designer Edward Wilkerson’s sketch of a model wearing our Double-Faced Fringe Coat MC618R-5292 in Siren (also available in Khaki Melange) and it will be available in stores in September.We also have a shorter version, our Royal Fringe Double-Faced Coat MC643R-5292 that will be available on Lafayette148ny.com in October."
Lafayette 148 New York is one of the company's who designs will be featured in the fashion show at this event.
When you are marketing an event, creating an icon or logo to brand your message is a crucial to establish brand identify and set yourself apart from the herd of competing messages. You need a mark that will stand out and be different. But it also has to translate into a clear marketing message to move consumers towards your end result.
As more and more consumers get their news and information from online and mobile sources, we as marketers have to think about how the art we select or create will translate to these mediums for effective communication. Do you feel this logo missed the mark by not translating into a clear image when reduced down for online viewing? Or do you think much ado was made about nothing?
The forum is now open.
