US – Tapping into the revival of the vinyl music market, storage company Symbol has updated its branding to broaden the appeal of its home products. The company has hired creative studio High Tide to develop a brand identity that reflects the timeless, hand-crafted quality of its vinyl storage solutions, positioning these items as alternatives to ‘fast furniture’.
To create the visual identity, High Tide looked to heirlooms – items that are passed down from one generation to the next. The rebranding takes inspiration from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s while avoiding the obvious design tropes associated with any one of these eras – aiming to prevent looking overly nostalgic. The result is a visual identity that combines bold graphics and striking imagery to create an appearance that conjures feelings of both nostalgia and forward thinking.
Ushering the vinyl market into a new era, Symbol is offering an alternative to disposable furniture design by using its visual identity to communicate a sense of longevity and heritage. In the Avant Abodes section of the Innovation Debrief, we explore how design companies are attracting younger consumers with visual rebrands.
Strategic opportunity
How can your company take inspiration from the past without adopting an overly nostalgic visual identity that cannot evolve for future generations?