Category
Lifestyle
Assisted Choices
Trend cluster
Category
Altered
Identity
Brands temporarily shift their visual identities to promote good causes.
3.1
Trend score
Trend
What is the Altered Identity trend?
Altered Identity: As a brand, significantly altering a recognizable visual identity would normally be a risky change, however there are some exceptions that come in the form of the promotion of positive social causes. This shift is most evidenced by brands’ increased willingness to diverge from their identities when it comes to bringing awareness to endangered species — offering morality-driven consumers the brand and value alignment they seek in their purchase decisions.
Trend themes
Themes within the Altered Identity trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Cause-Driven Branding
Brands are willing to significantly alter their visual identity to bring awareness to endangered species or other socially driven causes.
02
Exotic Branding
Consumer desire for more biophilic products is at play, as urban consumers become further disconnected from the natural world, resulting in a focus on products and imagery that have lush, natural elements.
03
Endangered Species Awareness Campaigns
Companies are using innovative marketing tactics like replacing logos with threatened species, featuring animal-embossed cosmetics, and offering chocolate series with animal figurines to raise awareness for endangered animals and ecosystems.
Industry implications
What the Altered Identity trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Marketing and Advertising
Companies can create cause-driven branding and awareness campaigns through brand identity alteration, product marketing, and sponsorship.
For
Consumer Goods and Retail
Retailers can focus branding efforts on lush, natural elements and create exotic and biophilic product packaging and displays.
For
Wildlife Conservation and Environmental Sustainability
Companies can create awareness campaigns and sponsorships for endangered species and ecosystems to encourage consumer activism, while also implementing sustainable conservation initiatives.
Workshop question
How could your brand temporarily alter its visual identity to promote a positive cause?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Altered Identity
Trend score 3.1 out of 10, from popularity 36%, activity 49%, freshness 8%.
Popularity36%
Activity49%
Freshness8%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Evidence
Examples of the Altered Identity trend
6 featured examples from Jul 16, 2016 to Jul 24, 2018CategorySocial Good
Endangered Species Campaign Shirts
Lacoste Aims to Protect Endangered Species with 10 New Logos
Fashion retail businesses can make a positive difference by embracing marketing campaigns that promote conservation efforts.
CategoryLifestyle
Biodiversity Ice Cream Branding
The Selva Nevada Ice Cream Company is Columbian Wildlife-Focused
Industry can leverage the desire for nature-inspired branding and exotic flavor profiles to create innovative products.
CategoryEco
Collectible Conservation Chocolates
Yowie’s Chocolate Rescue Series Contains Animal Figurines
Confectionery companies can explore partnerships with conservation organizations to create similar products that educate and raise awareness about endangered species.
CategoryLuxury
Endangered Species-Supporting Runways
LACOSTE and IUCN Boast Nature Through Fashion with a Cause
Opportunity for fashion brands to collaborate with conservation organizations to create collections with a cause.
CategoryTech
Monkey Matchmaking Campaigns
The Body Shop is Promoting Its CSR Planting Program Through Tinder
Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating sustainable and socially responsible product lines to appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers.
CategoryFashion
Animal-Embossed Blush Shades
Chantecaille's 20th Anniversary is Celebrated with Artistic Designs
Chantecaille's 20th-anniversary collection demonstrates a growing trend in the cosmetics industry towards emphasizing social and environmental responsibility with products that su…
