Remember one of the best scenes in Wonder Woman? When she’s in the trench and decides to rescue that little town? That’s when she puts on her tiara, steps onto the battlefield and saves an entire town. She’s pretty badass.
Her tiara is a symbol of her royal heritage. The gold tiara has a red or gold star that’s set prominently for everyone to see her status as princess. It’s also a weapon that comes in handy, making it a functional part of her outfit. She doesn’t always wear it, but when she does it means something. I think the tiara is a huge part of Wonder Woman’s brand identity, because it says so much about her and sets her apart from the other superheroes, making her instantly recognizable.
Logos and Brand Identity
We all know that a logo is at the core of a brand’s identity. It’s the one symbol that’s on everything from business cards to trade show displays to free giveaways. Wonder Woman’s logo comes from the stacked Ws of her wordmark. You can see the stacked Ws suggested on her tiara in the way the central star aligns with the rest of the tiara. Her logo is always front and center, just like it should be.
Logos, wordmarks, and other symbols contribute to the visual position of a brand’s identity and differentiate it among the competition. They can range in design from the easily recognizable to very abstract. The style depends on the personality and function of the company, as well as current trends in design. The same can be said for other visual representations of the brand. For Wonder Woman, the tiara and other iconic symbols, like the lasso of truth or invisible jet, are part of her visual identity.
Corporate Branding
A brand is everything associated with the company, including things like customer service, reputation, and industry experience that aren’t as visible. The visible elements of the brand serve to remind people of the invisible elements of the brand – the experience with this brand that they value (or in some cases, despise!). It’s holistic, in that many elements come together to consciously and unconsciously influence our beliefs about a brand.
A good example is Amazon and their signature smile on every box that ships from their warehouses. They also use a branded packaging tape. They know that the box and the tape are part of their brand identity. When building a brand, the visual details are important, but the invisible details are equally as important. When you see the Amazon logo or signature smile, you may think of quick shipping, easy checkout, and the vast product offering. Amazon has built this collection of visible and invisible brand assets over the years, so that we effortlessly associate them. In the same way, Wonder Woman’s tiara, her compassion, her lasso of truth and many of her other visible and invisible brand assets have come together over the years to make her the strong, beloved character that women and girls alike admire and imitate. The moment Wonder Woman shows up, you know something good is going to happen.
Here’s a fun exercise. Think about the symbols in your brand’s identity. Do you use them in your branding efforts? If the answer is no, brainstorm with your team to come up with ways you can incorporate your brand’s personality into a more comprehensive blend of visible and invisible assets.
This article is part of a series on how Wonder Woman inspires our marketing philosophy. Throughout the year, we will be featuring more on this topic, so let us know how you feel about it in our comments section below.
