Audi - A new take on Brand Architecture?

Those of us who brave the M4 on our daily commute into London everyday have watched with interest over the past months as West London Audi have built their new flagship £30m building quite literally a stone’s throw from the edge of the elevated section of the motorway.

We have wondered why it was built so high, what all of the glass was for and how they could possibly manage to utilise all of the space that the seven storeys gave them. Well now we know – the building has been built as a huge advertising hoarding. The floor level with the motorway houses all of the latest models and the top floor a number of iconic Audi cars from its incredible motoring heritage. Both of these floors are directly visible for motorists driving into and out of London.

The outcome of this, as any commuter who drives into London can attest, is that traffic quite literally now slows to a virtual standstill as it passes the new beacon of the Audi brand and drivers of various other marques gaze longingly at the shiny new Q7s, R8s and S4s before attaining normal road speed as the building disappears in their rear view mirror and they wonder what they are doing in their aged and not so shiny Fords and Vauxhalls.

A clever way to communicate and advertise the Audi brand or an unanticipated by-product of placing a seven storey car show room next to one of the busiest motorway stretches in the UK? Whichever it is and I am sure that Audi will plump for the former, the impact on the traffic in West London has been incredible.

It also serves as a great illustration of how to place a brand into the everyday lives of thousands of people and how it can effectively become part of the fabric of society. It is in marked contrast to the traditional DM and advertising approaches used by so many others and could mark a change in the definition of ‘brand architecture’.

As with all of these things there are always pretenders and I notice that Mercedes are building a new showroom right next to the new Audi temple. The only problem is that if they want to have the same impact and compete with their German rivals then someone needs to tell them that they need to put a couple of extra storeys on it. It won’t be me though, I can’t cope with another 30 minutes added to an already extended journey time.

Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority | Travellers Welcome

A couple of years ago, I remember the ''Travellers Welcome'' identity being launched by Abu Dhabi and thinking how original and different it was compared to the more artificial nation brands being promoted by other countries in the Middle East. Whereas other identities seemed to be all about ''logic''- shopping, leisure, hotels, lifestyle - here was an identity that was pure ' 'magic'', evoking the heritage and nostalgia of Arabia. While Dubai has raced from 0-60 in terms of its brand reputation internationally, and is now arguably paying a price for a loss of credibility, Abu Dhabi has proceeded in a far more understated way. It comes across as the antithesis of its louder neighbour. The challenge now is how this brand will evolve.

A couple of weeks ago, coming through Abu Dhabi International Airport I was greeted by the ''Travellers Welcome'' sign in the arrivals hall. It struck me that this powerful message and its romantic imagery needed to move on. I found its message a little one-dimensional and not broad and interesting enough to accommodate all the exciting aspects of the most powerful Emirate. To keep saying the same thing doesn't do justice to the potential of this identity and the brand now needs a framework to allow it to grow and develop.

It needs to clarify its target visitor and identify what makes them tick. Comprehensive consumer insight was the foundation stone for all our work with Wales. It needs to create a clear and ownable verbal identity that can give Abu Dhabi a distinctive and original voice in the world; the brand identity and communications needs a framework that allows it to grow. It feels a little stifled right now.

A nation brand that we are very involved with is Wales. We've worked with the Welsh Assembly Government since 2004 developing a core proposition for the nation brand and then, beneath that, brands for tourism, culture, inward investment and education. We created the idea of ''originality'' for the Wales brand, communicating the thought that this is a nation that does things differently and which is the home of original thinking. When the world zigs, Wales 'zags'.

The single most important asset of the Wales brand we created is its 'verbal identity' or brand language. While photographic and typographic style plays a significant part in communications, the way the brand speaks is what truly differentiates it. Wales has a confident, knowing and understated tone of voice that engages a like-minded consumer. Visit Wales talks about 'unpackaged holidays' and celebrates the lack of Starbucks outlets it has; Sport Wales welcomes the Australian cricket team by saying 'G'Dai'; International Business Wales encourages businesses to relocate for a better quality of life; Wales the True Taste invites consumers to remember what good, honest food tastes like. Abu Dhabi Tourism, like the nation it represents, has an incredible wealth of potential in the world travel market. To realise this, it needs some help.