What Organizations Can Learn from Pablo Picasso & Nike - Why Change is Better than Consistency in the Age of Constant Connectivity
What Organizations Can Learn from Pablo Picasso & Nike - Why Change is Better than Consistency in the Age of Constant Connectivity
I have a problem with brand guidelines. They are boring and get in the way of creativity. They may be designed to ensure and reinforce consistency, but they often get in the way of new ideas and innovation. Besides, isn’t consistency just kind of boring? Have you ever looked at the definition of consistency?
con·sist·en·cy [kuh n-sis-tuh n-see]: “Acting or done in the same way over time.”
Consistency literally means acting or doing the same thing over and over again… It could easily be the same definition for boring. Translation, brand guidelines are just a set of rules that keep you in a box, or cube (you'll get that joke in a second).
Pablo Picasso the pioneer of Cubism (see what I did there?) and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century would have also had a problem with brand guidelines. Famous for deconstructing the conventions of perspective, Picasso rejected the concept that artists should copy nature and the sensibilities that dominated the Renaissance movement. Instead, Picasso challenged the rules, consistently changing his style and experimenting with abstraction, color, and perspective.
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
-Picasso
From the age of 15 to 90 years old, Picasso painted self-portraits that document his willingness to experiment with aesthetics. Below you will find 14 examples of how his style evolved over his life.
Picasso's disregard for uniformity and tradition was often met with harsh criticism. His willingness to experiment was viewed as “schizophrenic” and even called “satanic." Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, labeled his technique as "underworld form," and called it an "evil that did not belong in art galleries."
Departure from tradition, in any industry, is often met with criticism long before its recognized as innovative.
Similarly to Picasso, the Oregon Ducks and Nike were once harshly criticized for their weekly alterations of the football team's uniforms. From 2002-2012, the Oregon Ducks football team wore over 100 different uniform variations. At the time, the frequency at which the Ducks changed their uniform was extremely unconventional. Not only were the Ducks changing their uniforms weekly, but they were also unveiling some of the brightest colors the sport had ever seen. Previously, teams consistently wore the same, basic color combinations for years (think Alabama or Penn State).
Uniforms, like brand guidelines, were designed to help players and viewers alike easily recognize a team. Nike’s bold departure from tradition and the bright colors drew several critics. The mixing and matching of hues and patterns were viewed as 'wacky' and 'outlandish.'
Regardless of the harsh critics, Nike continued experimenting with new patterns, colors, and uniform designs. Each variation was seemingly bolder and more innovative than the last. Over those ten years, no college football team received more media coverage than the Oregon Ducks. Changing the color combinations, logos, messaging, and tone frequently captured the attention of the country’s top football recruits, coaches, media, celebrities, and competing brands alike.
A once small market team, the Oregon Ducks grew to become a national brand, and in the process, pushed the limits of uniform design. Today, you see teams across all sports, both collegiate and professional, routinely changing their uniform color variations and visual identity.
In 2018, you are competing for your customer’s increasingly fleeting attention span. You only have a few seconds to capture it and keep it. It’s a never-ending battle and consistency is the enemy. In the age of constant connectivity, constant change is the only way to capture your customer’s attention and remain relevant. The same tired words, colors, tone, and stock images will get scrolled right over. Brand guidelines and the process of ensuring everything is “on brand” could severely impede an organizations ability to not only effectively communicate with this generation of buyer, but keep up with them too.
So what can organizations learn from Pablo Picasso and Nike?
“History is one long processional of crazy ideas.”
- Phil Knight
Change is good. Consistency prevents innovation. Experiment more. Take risks. Push the limits. The unconventional can often become the influential — any movement in art, politics, or business started as a crazy idea.
Regardless of the harsh critics, Nike continued experimenting with new patterns, colors, and uniform designs. Each variation was seemingly bolder and more innovative than the last. Over those ten years, no college football team received more media coverage than the Oregon Ducks. Changing the color combinations, logos, messaging, and tone frequently captured the attention of the country’s top football recruits, coaches, media, celebrities, and competing brands alike.
A once small market team, the Oregon Ducks grew to become a national brand, and in the process, pushed the limits of uniform design. Today, you see teams across all sports, both collegiate and professional, routinely changing their uniform color variations and visual identity.
In 2018, you are competing for your customer’s increasingly fleeting attention span. You only have a few seconds to capture it and keep it. It’s a never-ending battle and consistency is the enemy. In the age of constant connectivity, constant change is the only way to capture your customer’s attention and remain relevant. The same tired words, colors, tone, and stock images will get scrolled right over. Brand guidelines and the process of ensuring everything is “on brand” could severely impede an organizations ability to not only effectively communicate with this generation of buyer, but keep up with them too.
So what can organizations learn from Pablo Picasso and Nike?
“History is one long processional of crazy ideas.”
- Phil Knight
Change is good. Consistency prevents innovation. Experiment more. Take risks. Push the limits. The unconventional can often become the influential — any movement in art, politics, or business started as a crazy idea.
In marketing, you’ll never be remembered for the rules you followed. Brand guidelines are like rules, they are meant to be broken.
Just do it, differently.
Just do it, differently.
