From Scratch to Standout: Building Distinctive Brand Assets That Work

Across every marketing sphere, the “1% brands” dominate case studies and examples of best practices. Distinctive Brand Assets (DBAs) are no exception. However, most brands are not Nike, nor do most marketers have the luxury of the golden arches or an apple logo etched onto most of our phones. 

Most brands and marketers live and work in the real world. Their budgets are limited, especially outside of key markets. The strength of their brand is the result of previous plans and activation, and due to the lust for the new, we as an industry forget about the power of consistency and compounding (albeit the tide may be turning on this). 

Most brands don’t have a deeply embedded DBA that they can leverage to enhance distinctiveness and stand out—whether on a shelf, in a newsfeed, or on the street. So, what should you do if you find yourself in this position? Here are some of the most common approaches we’ve observed:

1. Creating From Foundations
2. Creating From Synergy 
3. Creating From the Archives
4. Creating From Insight
5. Creating From the Imagination

#1 Creating From Foundations

The most common approach is in identifying existing hints of equity and building on them. This could be an asset which scored relatively okay as part of DBA research, or indeed something else identified as a driver of distinctiveness (e.g. an element from packaging). Assets which fall into the bottom quadrants of the DBA grid often fall into this camp, while they may not be recognised at scale, they are being attributed accurately by those familiar with the asset. 

The recent Minute Maid refresh is an example of a brand that took the best from what they had from across SKUs and markets to create a more consistent packaging design system. As seen from the example below, they found themselves with a somewhat disparate range. A more uniform approach across packaging can pay dividends in ensuring the brand allows key assets to breathe, with much greater consistency across SKUs.

Angel Soft is a brand which has recently upped their game when it comes to DBAs. They had some good foundations already, with a brand name that provided opportunity. They leaned into the angel character which has not only come to life on pack, but also became a focal point in their advertising. This has all the ingredients required for creating greater levels of distinctiveness. 

Image source: Dieline 

Another valuable clue lies in misattribution data. If an asset shows low misattribution to competitors, it suggests the opportunity to claim and embed it further. Conversely, assets with high competitor misattribution should typically be avoided.

In addition to this, if an asset avoids the curse of category genericness, it has a better chance of being something that could become ownable and distinctive. Assets that fall into the top left space of the below DBA quadrant fall into the “category generic” bracket; they feel very familiar as many brands are more likely to use them. These assets struggle to stand out because of their shared meaning and usage. Category codes or category shortcuts fall into this camp. 

The key takeout; find where the hints of equity exist as a starting point and build from there. 

#2 Creating From Synergy

This approach looks at leveraging equity elsewhere to create a new DBA.

Aussie Hair exemplifies a brand with a standout advertising style that we admire. By emphasising their signature purple—central to their packaging—and incorporating it into a bold black-and-white art direction, they’ve created a cohesive and distinctive visual identity. This seamless integration amplifies their brand impact, as the purple packaging enhances the effectiveness of the ad style while the ad style further embeds the association with the purple pack. This synergistic and compounding approach is a powerful driver of distinctiveness.

Hawaiian Airlines is another good example of a brand that has taken the key asset from its logo, the Pualani, then doubled and tripled down on this within advertising and its livery. 

This has all contributed to it being the most distinctive airline in the U.S. as seen from our research here into the most distinctive assets of U.S. airlines. 

Sipsmith offers another excellent example of best practice. By taking an element from their packaging—the swan—and creatively incorporating it into their advertising, the brand has developed a key character that enhances shelf standout. This approach also demonstrates how premium brands can successfully leverage characters, a strategy that is relatively uncommon in the luxury space.

#3 Creating From the Archives

This approach looks at (re)launching a DBA which might have existed somewhere previously. For a variety of reasons, often more internal than external, it can be easier to lead with a DBA that has some link to the brand’s history. This is where a deep dive into the archives can prove beneficial. This can be a literal review of the archives, reviewing old advertising or packaging, or indeed testing assets from 5-20 years ago to understand if they still have good, or even any, equity. 

Agnesi Pasta looked back in time to go forward, creating lovely packaging and an approach with great potential to be distinctive. 

“As often happens with historic brands, we started from their archive, rediscovering branding materials that inspired the logo and packaging design. We identified the signature elements, giving them a new life, consistent with the brand’s DNA but with a contemporary tone of voice.” Miriam Frescura, design director of Auge, the agency behind the brand speaking in Dieline. 

Source: Dieline

Another well-known example is Weetabix, who rediscovered their “Rembrandt in the attic”, the distinctive ‘Have you had your Weetabix?’ tagline, which helped the brand return to growth and surpass £150m in sales for the first time through reinforcing an old, unused, but still powerful brand asset. (A great case study we recommend reading, available via the IPA or WARC). 

Tullamore D.E.W., the 2nd largest Irish whiskey globally, is a brand that also drew inspiration from its history to identify a DBA poised to become a cornerstone for its identity moving forward.

“In a fiercely competitive category dominated by big brands with strong salience and a long tail of new players claiming shelf space, we knew we had to elevate our distinctiveness,” according to Áine McGrath, Tullamore D.E.W. Global Head of Brand at William Grant & Sons. “The team realised that the bottle alone wasn’t enough—we needed a distinctive asset that could lead the brand for years to come”.

To kickstart this process, we conducted extensive research to identify which assets were not only distinctive but also had the potential to become our lead DBA. During this exploration, we tested a variety of concept assets and characters, including some archival elements. One such asset was the Irish wolfhound, a subtle feature on our packaging for years. The research confirmed that the wolfhound held significant potential to serve as a strong DBA for the brand.

The next step was bringing it to life. This involved giving the wolfhound a prominent position front and centre on our bottle and integrating it into our communications in a meaningful way.”

Áine added, “The wolfhound will play a pivotal role in our broad-reach communications and other key brand touchpoints moving forward. We even offer lucky distillery visitors to meet and pet a real wolfhound!”

There is so much potential in old assets; some DBAs linger long in consumers’ memories, even years after they are off air. For example, the Cornetto jingle “Just One Cornetto” saw very strong scores in a recent U.K. DBA study, beating the likes of McDonalds and Tesco, even though it has not aired prominently in recent years. 

#4 Creating From Insight

Some powerful DBAs also found their origin in an insight, observation, or distinguishing product feature. If you find yourself unstuck and lacking a distinctive asset, a thorough review of old research could be a treasure trove of inspiration. 

The dust accompanying Cheetos has long been noted as a side effect of munching down on a packet. The brand, in recent years, has really leaned into Cheetos dust with some very successful advertising campaigns.  

Origin: Cannes Lions

Not only this, but it’s also become part of culture itself due to its meme-friendly nature, showing the power of turning a negative on its head. 

Buckleys, the Canadian cough syrup brand, is another brand which turned a negative into a hugely successful DBA, with their tagline and brand/creative platform “It tastes awful. And it works”. According to the brand, it originated after landing on some home truths. “After much discussion, it was agreed that Buckley’s Original Mixture possessed two strong characteristics: lousy taste and tremendous efficacy. They produced an award-winning advertising campaign using these two characteristics that made Buckley’s Original Mixture and Frank Buckley household names in Canada. The campaign slogan was “It tastes awful. And it works.” 

In 1986, the first transit ads featuring Frank Buckley quipping, “I came by my bad taste honestly – I inherited it from my father” and “I wake up with nightmares that someone gives me a taste of my own medicine” ran nationally. The company’s simple, honest and humorous approach to advertising helped attract much attention and praise, but more importantly, new users. The “bad taste” campaign increased the company’s market share by over 10% in the Canadian cough & cold category.” (Source: Buckleys). 

The tagline has become so much more for the brand, providing a wonderfully creative platform that helps them to cut through. 

Source: Buckley’s 

#5 Creating From the Imagination

At the end of the day, many iconic DBAs stem from the creativity of brilliant minds. While having a clear origin story can be valuable, it’s not a necessity—a brand can absolutely create a DBA from scratch. In fact, many DBAs that are now strongly associated with their brands initially had no tangible links to them. What made these assets successful was their originality and the consistent support they received, enabling them to become standout elements of the brand’s identity.

A great example of a tenuous connection is the Geico Gecko. In the late 1990s, a Screen Actors Guild strike prevented advertisers from using actors, creating a significant challenge for Geico as they prepared to launch a television campaign. Geico’s agency, The Martin Agency, turned to animation and introduced a walking, talking gecko in a clever move. What began as a solution born out of necessity ultimately led to creating one of the most iconic brand mascots in marketing history.

NOW, the streaming platform owned by Sky is an example of a brand that introduced new characters with loose links to an insight and the brand, but still could prove very effective. According to Rory Hamilton, chief creative officer of Boys+Girls, the agency behind the idea, “The campaign features an Owl and a Fox who gather to watch TV every night through the window. They’re the experts, the ones in the know.

Through them, we learn about a smarter way to stream. And through the campaign, we show people all the benefits of the service, so like them, now you know.”

A well-known figure to U.K. and Australian audiences is the Meerkat from Compare the Market. The character cleverly plays on the pronunciation of “market,” with the original campaign featuring Aleksandr Orlov, an animated Russian meerkat, humorously lamenting the confusion between his website, comparethemeerkat.com, and comparethemarket.com.

Task Rabbit has produced a range of varied work over the years, with limited consistency beyond its use of green. Recently, the brand introduced a new advertising strategy that has the potential to evolve into a key distinctive asset in the future. This demonstrates a focused effort, starting with a well-defined brief to the agency and followed by a commitment to maintaining consistency in executing the approach over time.

Next Steps

If you’re leading a brand that feels lacking in distinctiveness or is without a lead DBA, here are the steps you can follow.

1. Distinctive Asset Research – Begin by conducting Distinctive Brand Asset measurement to identify your strengths and determine which assets resonate effectively with broader category buyers. Many clients, even those without iconic assets, have significantly benefited from DBA research. It provides valuable insights into areas of potential equity, highlights misattribution risks, and uncovers opportunities or whitespace within the category.

2. Briefing – Once you are clear on your standing with current (or historical) DBAs, you can now brief your agency on developing or adapting your future primary distinctive asset(s). This briefing should be clear on the DBA research findings so your agency or internal creative team have a solid jumping-off point. Remember, this could be as simple as some potential routes/assets with hints of equity. The brief should also be focused, i.e. less is more, and ideally, the scope should be that this asset lives across touchpoints, on the pack if applicable, and in comms. As part of step #1 above, a trawl of the archives may also inspire the creative team.

3. Selection & Planning – This step is about prioritisation, having a clear view of which distinctive asset(s) takes the lead, and also planning i.e. the blueprint for using your distinctive assets. What is your approach to static advertising? What are the barriers to embedding? What should inform the next pack refresh? What tools will you provide to local markets to help embed the assets? These questions should be answered in a planning document for all to see.

4. Cascade –  Ensuring all ancillary teams know which assets to use and how to use them is key. Firstly, educating them on the importance of distinctiveness can help with this. Our recent guide to DBAs might help with that! (available to download from here) Next, key brand docs like your “brand bible” or equivalent and design guidelines will also play important roles.

5. Activate – Activating and playing with Distinctive Brand Assets is the crucial next step. Make them front and centre in all future creative briefs, and ensure all creative partners are clear on the focus they should be given across all touchpoints.

The best time to start embedding and growing your DBA was 5 years ago; the second-best time is today. If your brand lacks a DBA, follow these steps to set the wheels in motion and build a lasting legacy.

For help on this journey or even some advice on what to do next, reach out to us to set up a chat.