In our current society, branding and advertising is the most powerful way of conveying messages to a society constructed of consumerist individuals. This aspect of graphic design holds significant potential following technological progression with digital advancements in our modern era, with more widespread access to such technology globally.

This specific design industry is now worth over a billion dollars.

The history of Branding and Advertising:

ITV channel establishment –

This marked the initiation period of televised advertising within which marked a key point in time when graphic design became recognised as an proper industry and profession. The vintage adverts broadcasted through this channel set many conventions in typical and associable iconography, still relevant in modern day design culture. These adverts were often extremely controversial, appearing extremely harsh and outrageous. Many stereotypes surfaced within this period, manipulating outrage throughout a changing culture.

70s/ late 70s –

Within this period, advertising became very competitive where companies began to really test the boundaries of what is possible for inclusion within their adverts. This was a very ground-breaking moment within branding and advertising.

End of the decade – 

For the very first time, advisors got involved with political campaigns, trying to manipulate change within the way the world operates. The backlash received from adversary projected drive in creativity.

1980s –  

Complexity and contradiction marked the scene at this point. Suddenly, the recognition of an extreme divide through society became noticeable. This was brought about by the prescience of mass media. These differences could be sought through rich vs poor, or lower vs upper, etc.

Late 1980s – 

Design became style over function. Brands started to grow and develop a recognisable, broadcasted look. Style over Subsidence – new technologies began to surface. New styles began to enrich design and replace the typical digitalised look, breaking free from conventional approach and expectations, enforcing change and inflicting interest.

1990s – 

Globalisation and the web became a major advancement within society. Communication went global. This caused for designers to become brand architects and brand consultants. While this was occurring, advertising went back to basics; simplistic, good design.

Branding became the tip of the ice burg for the design industry, forming the driving force of communication: A singular idea or concept that you own in the mind of the consumer. It is as simple and as difficult as that.

Around this time, recognition was made surrounding what exactly makes branding successful. The answer to this was considered to surround the following aspects- development of status symbol, infliction of emotional attachment, economical status, family traits, and positioning the brand within the mind of the consumer.

An example of a brand who recognised where they were falling down in terms of this criteria is BBC 2 and 4. Each of which featured very successful work, yet only had a niche audience and a bad reputation. This was due to the fact that they featured too much diversity amongst their branding. Following reflection of this, these channels reconsidered their aesthetic approach, producing a series of logos going against a typically set logo idea. The company pushed the boundaries, comparable to that or more modern design successes.

Ikea are another major case study surrounding this subject. Their adverts refined the design style of the time. They took typical cultural design, constructed of very floral and vibrant assets and changed the attitudes of a society, promoting a new, more clean style. Their advertisements manipulated the way society operated, inflicting huge change and desires for alteration of stylistic nature within their home designs and furnishings. Ikea hold the status of the largest known furniture store, successful following their ability to redefine the shopping experience in an inventive and new way. As masters of the arts, Ikea experimented with layout no one had ever attempted, creating their own layouts with their furniture to show how your room could look, set out in a space that allows you to walk through and interact with it.