Design Snobbery ... Why You Don’t Need an Award-Winning Logo

It’s easy to fall into the trap of design snobbery and conflate aesthetic beauty with strong branding. The allure of elegant, award-winning logo designs and stunning visual identities often leads brands to obsess over crafting the perfect design work.

But here’s the reality – the visual assets you create as a brand matter far less than the intangible essence behind them.

World-class branding isn’t just about producing portfolio-worthy visual design work (though there’s nothing wrong with beautiful visuals and the impact these can contribute to). It’s about embodying authenticity and resonance through every customer experience and interaction. It’s about infusing brand personality into every touchpoint, both visual and non-visual.

Many brands make the mistake of believing that splashing a “cool logo” with an “on trend” colour palette across the board will build connections. But if there is no authentic personality, messaging, and experience behind that mark, it becomes just another meaningless symbol – devoid of emotion and forgettable.

Look at brands like the “Lambassador” campaign from Aussie Lamb – where they created an eccentric, tongue-in-cheek character that became a viral hit through its pure personality and humour. Or consider Red Rooster’s cheeky, laidback tone on social media that reflects an authentic Australian brand voice, delighting fans with witty banter and minimal branding. Another example is XXXX GOLD, whose iconic tin can design with bold colours and typography is far from a traditional “good” beer packaging aesthetic, yet it still manages to resonate deeply as an iconic piece of Australian brand identity.

Visual design work is meant to be a tangible expression of your brand identity, not the identity itself. So by all means, create beautiful, memorable logos and visuals. But don’t let the pursuit of sheer aesthetic perfection become the be-all and end-all.

True brand resonance comes from crafting an authentic personality, telling compelling stories, forming emotional connections, and infusing a cohesive experience across every touchpoint. 

Get those deeper fundamentals right, and suddenly that simple, quirky logo will shine – because the intangible branding behind it is rock solid.