Thinking
Advertising · Essay
Before Season Stories, we each spent more than ten years in advertising and branding. Six lessons from that time shape how we work with brands of every size, from finding one clear idea to earning attention instead of buying it.
Creative strategy · Guide
Most branding projects start with a request for a deliverable, like a logo or new packaging. The work goes better when you first find the problem underneath. Five questions help you get from what you think you need to what will actually make a difference.
Brand · Essay
People rarely compare every option before they buy. They pick the brand that comes to mind first and is easy to spot. Distinctive, consistent brand assets are what put you in that position, which is why being memorable is a commercial goal as much as a creative one.
Packaging · Guide
People judge a product's quality and price from its packaging in a second or two. Clear hierarchy, a distinctive look, honest materials and a system that works across the range help packaging show what the product is worth.
Characters · Essay
A character earns its place when it has a personality, a job and a life beyond the logo. Mascots that are only cute end up as decoration. Mascots designed with a point of view become something people recognise, remember and want to own.
Merch · Breakdown
A24 turned the Marty Supreme campaign into a cultural moment by treating merch as part of the story. Limited jackets, a signature colour and playful promotion gave fans something to own and share, and that is a lesson any brand can use.
Merch · Breakdown
Rhode treats merch as part of the brand world, with objects that feel as considered as the products. The result is a brand that lives in people's bathrooms, bags and photos, and builds attachment in a way ads rarely do.
Merch · Essay
Merch used to mean free pens and mugs. Now it means hoodies, totes and limited drops people queue for. Social media and the blur between fashion and community changed what branded products can do, and small brands can play in the same space as global names.
Merch · Guide
People love representing brands they feel connected to, and merch gives them an easy way to do it. Start with the feeling your brand gives people, make things they'll actually use, involve them in the design, launch it like a drop and celebrate them wearing it.
Merch · Essay
People skip ads, but they keep a good hoodie for years. Well-designed merch gives cafés, studios and lifestyle brands a lasting, physical presence, builds loyalty and turns customers into walking advocates.
