When I was last in São Paulo, we did some workshops for a wonderful bunch of designers. Our task was, in just one day, to create a brand for a co-op of people who collect rubbish from landfill sites for recycling. As an organization it’s a model in terms of democracy, collaboration, support and idealism. The profit is shared equally between all the workers, all the way up to the president.
People who would be otherwise excluded from society, can get work, can get a sense of pride in doing something so crucial to the planet. On the day, we all created an idea that would help them focus as an organization and some routes for the visual language. After the event, one of the routes was selected and then further developed here at Wolff Olins London.
Have a look at the result. The overall idea is about recycling lives.
That is based on the notion that besides recycling materials, the co-op creates new opportunities for people, for communities and for the environment.
The visual language tells the story of transforming waste into opportunities.
Someone once said that if humanity ever runs out of hope, it should turn to Brazil for inspiration. The country has so much optimism, generosity, noise, and a real sense of future. What I love most is how everything is improvised (in Rio people print T shirts with the seat belt on them, just so that they can drive without!!).
Last month, I was in Sao Paulo for an amazing event organised by ABC Design (you might have seen my previous posts on it). I was there with Karl Heiselman, our CEO, and we got a glimpse of how much buzz and energy the place has at the moment.
One of the things we did while in Brazil turned out to be really special. ABC asked me to run a couple of workshops for designers. We decided to create, in just one day, a brand for a coop of workers that recycle rubbish in Sao Paulo called Cooper Yara. Their work is so crucial and yet they have no way of articulating or expressing what they do and no clear direction for how they want to grow.It was amazing to have the coop workers + designers thinking together. Great to create something useful, to help them build pride, grow and have more impact in the world.
During the workshops, designers (who had brought along a selection of rubbish from their homes) developed different routes for a brand for the cooperative. Here in London we’ll help turn the best route into a brand for Cooper Yara and in Brazil a group of designers offered to bring their brand to life: build their website, create actions that reflect their purpose in the world. Check back in soon to see the work develop.
I feel so lucky and privileged to be able to do that through our work, And to meet so many wonderful people. Thank you ABC, CooperYara and the designers, all of whom got super engaged in the journey.
Every country has its icons and its gems, Brazil is a feast of them.
With so much character, a crazy mixture of tropical modernism, never ending improvisation, and full on optimism, it has all the rightingredients. So, beyond Havaianas and Melissa, here are a few more of my favorites:
Biscoitos Globo are a legend, the best thing for decades for anyone that frequents the beaches in Rio. And as we believe brands are not just about the way things look, theynot only look fab, they but taste like nothing else.
Goiabada Cascão is the classic of the classics. A jam made of guava that tastes very much like Quince, with a bit of cheese, itis to die for. There are different brands, and they all have the best of simple DIY design.
Catupiry is one of those things every Brazilian would kill a man for, when they have been away for too long. And how cool is the package! The best smell of Brazil is Phebo, and now alongside Granado are super classic soaps. We all grew up loving them, the cheapest, most democratic treat, and now they are cool and trendy because Brazil is, so they get sold in fancy shops but still are cheap.
One final delight is the Biscoito Piraquê. The packages were designed by Lygia Pape, one of the greatest Brazilian artist in the 60’s. She also created posters for some of the master pieces of Brazilian Nouvelle Vague cinema.
Let’s just hope that none of those big branding agencies ; ) get near any of that wonderfully original design. The saddest thing that happened to branding in Brazil, was when the classic identity of Varig airlines was redesigned a few years ago. That was a real loss of one of the strongest of classic, modernist design in Brazil. It was just as good as PAN AM.
Come on branding guru’s of the world, let’s leave that wonderful design heritage alone.
MELISSA SHOES This sexy Brazilian footwear company has been taking the fashion world by storm for nearly 30 years. Melissa has challenged the conventions of the industry by manufacturing its entire range using eco-friendly mono materials that can be disassembled and recycled. The brand has already collaborated with the likes of Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano to design unique ranges but also remained true to its Brazilian roots, including this Amazon rainforest themed range.
It’s also not just the shoes that turn heads - the brand’s vibrant and artistic in-store displays are now as just as iconic, with Melissa placing great importance on creating a unique in-store experience. As the brand continues to expand across the world, partnering with designers and growing its loyal fanbase (including the likes of Katy Perry and Dita von Teese), Melissa’s future certainly looks bright.
PETROBRAS Petrobras may be the largest organization in Latin America and one of the world’s largest energy companies, but it’s also one of the most collaborative, placing great importance in Brazil’s cultural production, helping to fund films, theatre plays and scholarly works - making Petrobras the largest sponsor of culture in Brazil since the 1990s.
Petrobras’ most recent collaboration with magazine and image site Lomography sees the brand inviting people from all over the world to submit images of what energy means to them, creating a huge user-generated images around the concept of energy. This isn’t glossy greenwash but real photography from all corners of the world. Have a look at some of the shots.
It’s not the logo, the packaging, the advertising, the typography, the leading or the kerning. It’s the product and what it stands for. Havaianas are the best flip flops. They are beautifully simple, charming and comfy (they have a special texture that stop your feet from sweating in the heat).
From Gisele to workers on a building site (watch the safety at work!), from policemen to prostitutes, politicians and the president of Brazil, everybody wears them. It’s a national institution. Havaianas are the ultimate democratic brand, a celebration of the simple things in life.
And if simplicity is one of Havaianas main attributes, it has taken that to the catwalk. They can be glamorous, sitting comfortably alongside Louis Vuitton and Gucci, but always as a reminder that beautiful things can be simple and cheap.
As much as we love logos and graphic design, whether it’s Google, Skype or Marmite, great brands are so because of what they actually do and what they represent. The logo and graphic design are just one dimension of it.
Havaianas have been around for 60 years and the product is still the same, except now it’s more diverse, colourful and cosmopolitan. You get a pair of Havaianas and with it comes a taste of sunny and sexy Rio - as if you started walking with a bit of a swing.
Havaianas also summarizes what made Brazil thrive in really hard times. It is a symbol of the modern Lula era; with its economy booming and a government driven by a working class leader born in the favelas, Brazil has managed to shine on the world stage. Not just for its economical success, but as a bit of hope in a more fair social system.
For me it’s inspiring to see how, without any elaborate marketing, Havaianashas become such a powerful brand.A statement about lifestyle and a bunch of things that Brazil does so well.
