"Marmite!" exclaimed my then four year old daughter when I turned to this page in the book we were reading.
"Now that's what I call branding!" exclaimed I.
The loosely rendered drawing of the Marmite pot doesn't have any writing on it and takes up less than 1% of the surface area of the page (I've measured it), and yet it was instantly recognisable and instantly more relevant to Molly than anything Postman Pat was up to.
Marmite is a product that has its branding built in.
I have a video of Matt Groenig (creator of the Simpsons) talking about similar principles. He doesn't use the word branding but that's what he's talking about. He draws simple outlines of the heads of Batman and Mickey Mouse and describes how he wanted an equally instantly recognisable outline for Bart Simpson. He goes further and shows how the choice of yellow as the Simpsons' skin colour makes the show stand out and easy to recognise even during the most rapid channel zapping.
How many products have this kind of branding hardwired into their design?
Not many.
That's why the "Shakin' that ass" work for the Renault Megane is so refreshing. Renault have actually produced a branded product, and the advertising simply brings it to life in an engaging way. The car's got it and the ad flaunts it. Is it just a spooky coincidence that the Megane's ass is shaped like half of a Marmite jar?
Too much car advertising is appallingly branded, mainly because the products themselves are appallingly branded. There's nothing to flaunt.