FUSION #neosletter 3
‘Contradictions’ is the chief theme of this month’s curated creative content. Mainly because ‘contradictions’ just about sums up the predicted creative trends that we’re seeing across sectors, which in turn reflect the contrary themes dominating the business world at present.
From the pared back and naturally understated to the AI-inspired hyper-real, and from nostalgia-inspiring pastels and neutral colour palettes to eye-popping neo-futuristic styles, contradictions abound in Shutterstock‘s top design trends for 2024.
https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/top-design-trends
#designtrends
From vivid magenta to pastel peach – this year’s Pantone Colour of the Year (COY) is a world away from last year’s. While last year’s bright pink reflected a focus on technology and experimentation, this year’s more muted and delicate shade reflects “wellness and peace”. Not to mention “our innate yearning for closeness and connection”. Peachy!
https://www.creativereview.co.uk/pantone-colour-year-2024-peach-fuzz/
#creativedirection #fusion
From the familiar to the surprising. This is an observation rather than a trend, but it’s a good one. According to, Damien Le Castrec, Campaign UK magazine contributor and chief strategy officer at Droga5 London, “creativity lies in exploring the gap between the relatable and the unexpected”. It’s obvious when you think about it that the familiar on its own, while comforting, isn’t exactly noteworthy. But contrast this with something unexpected and you are much more likely to end up with a creative idea with sticking power. We’ve always thought that the creative magic happens when different elements are brought together, so can totally relate.
https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/relatable-shouldnt-end-goal/1851693
#financialservices #crosspollination
From product-focused to customer-centric. While this market trend is taken from Deloitte Consulting‘s financial services report, it is easy to spot its relevance for creative campaigns in the sector. What’s more, there are learnings here for other industries. We just love the dating app idea! What might your brand’s equivalent be? We can always help.
‘As industry lines blur, and customer expectations are influenced by experiences in other domains, customers are increasingly expecting banks to replicate the services they get elsewhere… Bank leaders can learn from customer interactions with entities outside of banking… Northwestern Mutual, for example, took a page out of a dating app playbook to design a matchmaking algorithm that pairs customers with financial advisors…’
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“Most brands are going to have their hands full balancing both ends of the scale this year – namely the call to be more human and pursuing the business gains that automation and being seen to be innovative offer – in their campaigns. The good news is that contradictions provide fertile ground for creativity and new ideas.”
– Mark Terry, CVO, NEO
#socialenterprise #brandfiction #creativehumanity
From perfect brands to messy reality. Coffee brand Bettr’s new rebrand uses a perfect blend of the relatable and the unexpected to express just what it’s like to be a social enterprise to both its trade and consumer customers. Featuring a fictional brand world and illustrated characters who are deliberately flawed and therefore that much more human, we are invited to follow their exploits as they strive for change.
“The world of social impact and sustainability are typically fronted by happy mascots, saccharine do-gooders and utopian futures,” says Lee Hanyi, creative partner, Anak. “This results in a huge gap between brand and the truth of real life. Helping the planet is a dirty, messy and complicated job. The new Bettr brand celebrates the world of social enterprises in all its imperfect glory, encouraging everyone to ‘Scr*w perfect, make impact’.”
https://www.creativereview.co.uk/coffee-brand-bettr-rebrand-anak/
#storytelling #campaign
From nature to tech: juxtaposing contradictions to highlight similarities. We just love the design concept by Studio Sutherl& for De.Coded, the multi-disciplinary research project. In coming up with a design theme for the ‘A Human Atlas‘ project, which explores the ancestral DNA of Silicon Valley, the designers turned to nature and a Californian Sequoia tree (aka a giant redwood) to show the similarities between DNA testing and tree-ring dating. It looks stunning! Prepare to be felled.
According to Studio Sutherl&, the fallen Californian Sequoia, from which the design was printed, “represented both generations and the passing of time”. Additionally, a “Californian FB [serif font], designed for the University of California Press, was used to have a human script contrast with the computerised identity of Silicon Valley.”
https://www.creativereview.co.uk/decoded-silicon-valley/
From contradictions come creative opportunities. Asked as a member of the PRCA B2B Committee for his creative predictions, NEO CVO Mark Terry said: “If I had to pick just one word to describe 2024’s creative comms trends, I might choose ‘contradictory’. Most brands are going to have their hands full balancing both ends of the scale – namely the call to be more human and pursuing the business gains that automation and being seen to be innovative offer – in their campaigns. The good news is that contradictions provide fertile ground for creativity and new ideas. So, it promises to be an exciting year!”
The magic’s in what we do together. Bring on the fusion, Team NEO
[This content was originally posted on LinkedIn. Follow us on LinkedIn.]
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