Foundational Identity and the AI Misstep
If you’re building a brand, whether it’s from scratch or a refresh, it can be tempting to use “free” AI. After all, hiring a branding agency to research, analyze, stress-test, iterate, and revise, can be a huge investment.
But, as with any power tool, if you don’t know how and when to use it you’ll only get hurt. And while spending money in these early stages can be costly, not spending it can be deadly.
The dangers of using AI to build your foundational brand identity
Can you imagine if all of the artists in the world only pulled inspiration from art that was already hanging in museums? Eventually, it would turn into an endless loop of sameness. You’d struggle to recall what you had seen where, nothing would stick.
When you ask AI to create a logo for your brand in [insert any category] it’s going to pull inspiration from brands that are successful in that category because that is what it knows. Just like when you ask AI to generate a full glass of wine (to the brim) it will only ever be able to show you an image of a glass a quarter or half of the way full (no matter how many times you try to correct it). It can only do what it’s seen.
Now, a person — an artist, a graphic designer, a strategist — can think beyond your prompt. Yes, they’ll look at what’s succeeding in your category, but then they’ll look beyond it. They’ll look at what’s standing out to consumers in a completely different category—one that has literally nothing to do with your product except for the fact that it’s working.
They’ll also consciously and subconsciously pull inspiration from their own memory structures — of all the brands they’ve watched grow (and fail), the art they’ve undoubtedly explored, the changing view out their window, the clothes they see on the street, the opening title sequence from their favorite movie. Surrounded by inspiration and experience, they will marry their creative sparks with the client’s brief, to build something distinctly new.
In a market, where close to 30,000 new products are launched each year (and 95% of them fail) you can’t afford to slip.
At BRIGADE, we believe the most memorable brands are built through distinction and consistency. And that when used thoughtfully, AI can support both of those efforts—while unlocking efficiencies that benefit clients.
