09 Feb Key Visuals and Copy – A Necessary Dance for BAD Brands
When it comes to showing off your brand, names, logos, and clever copy can only get you so far. And as a human-centric, rule-breaking, design-led agency, we use color, image, and style to make brands stand out from the clutter and leave a lasting impact.
To do this, we turn our focus to design, finding a rhythm between key visuals and copy that not only looks badass but tells a story too. Copy and key visuals have thus become an integral part of any effective BAD brand development or BAD marketing strategy.
What are Key Visuals
Key visuals are graphical elements that define a brand’s identity and tell a story. That’s why key visuals are always far more adaptive and complex than a brand logo or simple color palette.
Each time we approach key visuals, we try to look at the brand’s specific needs as well as the overall look, tone and feel. Sometimes, key visuals break the rules and go against what’s expected to bring about greater impact. Other times, they’re designed to compliment and become an effective add-on to a logo or existing LTF.
Many brands’ key visuals are more strongly associated with the brand than the logo itself, making the development of key visuals extremely important.
But with key visuals comes key messaging. Copy, therefore, often plays a crucial role in tying the brand, key visuals, and story together.
Copy in Key Visuals
Key visuals set the scene, play with color and leave a lasting impression. The copy integrated into it is where the story comes to life.
Sometimes copy is part of the key visuals themselves, becoming a flourish or graphical element that breaks away from the norm. Typography itself can lead key visuals, or it can be a support.
There are many different types of fonts, and each one can have a different effect on the viewer, including various degrees of legibility. Some copy is almost lost in a sea of design elements – but there’s always meaning behind its existence.
“At BKK Art Dept., it’s the dance between copy and key visuals that makes our approach truly devious.” – Thomas Hayward
From physical brand assets, to digital branding, imagery, video production and advertising – each visual identity we create is designed to be seen.
Key Visuals have the power to grab attention, but stories have the power to involve people, stir emotion, break norms and reinforce truths.
At BAD, we believe good stories are rooted in conflict. Every design flourish, and every punctuation mark has its purpose.
Whether it’s the noise of competition or consumer pain points you’re looking to overcome, our design and copy combo follows the most important rule in branding today: Show, don’t tell. Unless we’re feeling like breaking the rules…
Step back. Stand out. And find meaning in contrast.