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01.05.20

The value of creativity.

We were recently asked to speak about the value of creativity at the Vodafone Design Conference in Budapest. And as the conference was cancelled due to Covid-19, we thought we’d share it here.

The value of design is a subject that’s close to our hearts at Nomad. We believe that good design has the power to transform businesses.

But design can often be hard to validate. A lot of what we do is intangible. It’s hard to measure and even harder to prove. And what scares some clients the most is that the best work is often based on gut, which sounds somewhat flimsy but reminds me of the story about the woman who approached Picasso in a restaurant, asked him to scribble something on a napkin, and said she would be happy to pay whatever he felt it was worth. Picasso complied and then said, “That will be $10,000.” “But you did that in thirty seconds,” the astonished woman replied. “No,” Picasso said. “It has taken me seventy years.”

We’re not artists, and we’re certainly not scientists.

We’re strategic creatives helping brands and businesses to thrive in a changing world.

Creativity, and in particular, brand has become the weapon of choice for progressive leaders. When you get it right, it has immediate effect, and yields exponential value.

When we started working with the FA Women’s football pyramid, we found a brand with little to inspire, and no real reason to believe.

We set about creating a brand built on the idea of ‘Belonging’. Creating a movement. And a manifesto, inspiring a new generation of fans into action.

At the heart of this was a new symbol. Something that wouldn’t feel out of place in a superhero movie – and that was a conscious decision. To make modern day heroes. The Women’s Super League suddenly had something to rally behind, affecting broadcast, digital, comms and match day experience.

And the result?

Attendance numbers grew from an average of 848 from last season to 10,487 in 2019… that’s an increase of 1137%. More impressive when you consider we didn’t change the product in any way. We simply helped them to find their story, and tell that story to the right audience.

Often the long term value of brand is through action. Brands telling their story, activates their values. Nike, for example, does this brilliantly. Rather than flogging shoes, they inspire action through their spirit of ‘Just Do it’.

Authenticity is everything. For a brand to create value, it has to be true to what it stands for. People are too smart. They can see straight through the bullshit. Luxury car brands like Porsche and Land Rover are masters of this, continuously iterating and evolving, whilst always staying true to who they are. On the other hand, there are some horror stories when it comes to rebrands and it’s not that the work is bad, it’s usually that it is completely meaningless with no story behind it.

Then we get to the love bit. All brands want to be loved, but only a few ever earn that special place. This takes time, effort and energy. It’s a journey… A journey to being loved. From being unknown or disliked, to respected, liked, and ultimately (if you’re really lucky) — loved.

To become loved, brands need an awesome product and a unique point of view that tells us why they do what they do so brilliantly.

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“All brands have stories, they’re usually just buried or forgotten. It’s our job to uncover those stories and remix and reimagine them.”

A lot of the work we do with Premier League is about reimagining sponsorship. Shifting from a myriad mind numbing logo hoardings, to activating together through shared values. How can we create IP that helps you to tell your story? And that’s where things get really interesting. That’s how you get the Budweiser Hall of Fame, the Coca Cola Trophy Tour, and ePL. It’s exciting times.

Check out...

The FA Women's Super League
Uppingham School
A brand new brand for Disney+