Well, here’s something unique this week. No rugby related article today. Although, just to celebrate a fourth, record-breaking Rugby World Cup win for South Africa, the Springbok emblem is the very definition of branding.
Trident is not exactly sure when the term “branding” came into being. Branding, of course, is what large (as well as medium and small) corporations do in order to distinguish themselves over competitors and for the general public to understand an apple doesn’t necessarily mean food.
Branding is everywhere.
Branding is an inescapable aspect of modern life. Unless you live in Gatfontein you simply cannot walk, drive or prowl a suburban block that isn’t resplendent with signage of a grinning Southern colonel or an oversized M resembling a giant brassiere. Speaking of oversized M’s, back in the Wild West ™, cowboys used to stick iron rods into fires and mark bellowing cattle with the resultant red hot object. Branding. Some cows had oversized M’s on their bums for instance, or lazy H’s, or the like. Branding back then was fairly simple and basic. Generally just letters. And of course the same rings true today. This is why marketing clients need to understand why their very simple 3 element logographic should by rights cost the earth to produce. It’s not about the logo, it’s about the worth of that logo. What the industry calls “brand value” ™.
Surfing, for all its alleged anti-corporate, anti-mainstream stance – is not immune to this. A simplified board and mountain logo? Quiksilver. A few wavy lines? Billabong. A highly stylised wave vaguely resembling a lower case letter C (the cowboys would’ve been proud)? Rip Curl. And that’s just the big three surf brands. Sadly though, as we surfers all know; 2 out of 3 of said Big Three are in very real danger of going extinct. So make damn sure you have watertight warranties on those wetsuits pal.
But some surf brands aren’t everywhere.
Anyway, apart from those three there are tons of surf brands out there. Tons. As well as tons of surf brands who no longer exist. If you remember these, you’re at least as old as Trident; Frontline, Bad Boy Club, Retracted Rectum. Okay, we made that last one up, but who’s to say it wasn’t once upon a time an actual surf brand?
Some we don’t often find in SA, or they’ve left our shores for greener pastures. Trident can mention a few (Body Glove? Ocean Pacific? Hot Buttered? Where art thou?), but we are off topic here. This article is the science of branding, and so far the only science we’ve mentioned sticking white-hot iron onto unsuspecting bovine skin. Top tip; we assume it hurts. A lot. So please don’t try that particular science experiment at home kids.
Nonetheless, the origins of branding correlate strongly with the science of it today. Branding is meant to get under your skin, if not physically branded into your skin. This being said, if it were legal to brand logo’s onto unwilling customers, Trident suspects many greedy, faceless corporates would do so with aplomb. After all, aren’t customers all just mere cattle to multinationals?
Then there are some plonkers who possess the very definition of bad taste and actually willingly have a logo tattooed on their skin. Trident has personally seen the Kappa logo and Gucci permanently etched onto people who resemble inbred swamp dwellers from Louisiana. No doubt “those sort” are not the ideal sort of customer for any brand. Let alone Gucci.
Brands are like corporate tattoo’s.
The closest we have seen to a surf brand tattoo is the Fox logo on some deliciously classy twit. In a nutshell, it looked shit. So unless you’re CEO of the brand, or say; one of its top athletes – do not ever get a tattoo of a logo. You’ll look a right stupid arse. Unless you’re Frankie O, who has the Search logo tattooed on his ankle. He’s still sponsored by Rip Curl, so he gets a pass. Imagine if Kelly actually got a tattoo of the Quiksilver logo back when he was their biggest athlete. What a right tool the GOAT would look surfing in his Outer Known boardshorts with a Quik tramp stamp circa 2023.
Trident believes we need a follow up to this article, so stay tuned folks. And whatever you do, just don’t get that Xcel tattoo you’ve so desperately wanted for ages. You’ll look like an advert for Microsoft. And we all know stylised fruit is far superior.
