Not every brand evolution requires excitement levels above the rockets. The biggest changes to brand strategy have happened without a sound. There was no ripple in their brand engagement—but they changed how industries think! At Trivium Media Group, we are quick to identify underdogs in branding. Here are 10 of the most subtle brand moves that changed the industry, quietly but permanently
1. Dropbox’s ‘Onboarding’ Flow
A more simplified signup user experience that prioritized completeness over creativity – reduced drop-offs by 30% – now everyone copies them
2. Tiffany & Co.’s Instagram Blue Feed
Long before brands began to care about color consistency, Tiffany made their blue the mainstay of their identity. Resulting in an identity that stopped the scroll
3. Mailchimp’s Tone of Voice
They showed that B2B does not need to be boring. Their banana-peel humour now influences B2B SaaS copy around the world
4. Spotify’s Year-End Wrapped Campaign
It started as the simple idea of hitting rewind. It became a cultural event. An event that inspired millions of users to create their own globally shared content moment every year
5. Oatly’s Copy On Transparency Packaging
Radical, honest packaging and funny, self-aware commentary that made consumers read cartons again
6. Airbnb’s Font Change in 2014
They created their own typeface, called Cereal. It cost the company millions in licensing fees and supreme value in brand identity coherence
7. Zomato’s Billboard One-Liners`Contextual, local humour. No hard-sell, just brand charm. Took over India’s streets, and social feeds
8. Glossier’s Comments-as-Content Strategy Used DMs, comments, and used them to influence product development and UGC. Made followers feel like co-creators
9. Apple’s Camera Ad Shot on iPhone Didn’t give specs, just results. Shifted the entire mobile marketing playbook
10. Fenty Beauty’s Foundation Range A wide shade range was not new, but making it the campaign message? Shifted the beauty industry
