What the Spider-Verse Can Teach Us About Brand Variations
It's everyone's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! We all know Spider-Man, but we may not all know the same Spider-Man. Just like us, Spider-Man has undergone a few variations to keep it fresh.
Friendly Neighborhood Variations
We know the original Tobey Maguire Spider-Man to shoot webs from his wrists (also the best Spider-Man), then Tom Holland's Spider-Man has mechanical web shooters. The multiverse is an amazing concept, multiple timelines, endless possibilities, ways to keep the same franchise feeling fresh by telling new stories. I mean how many Spider-Man movies we got already, and I still want more!
Color Changes Perception
When I was a kid, I thought Spider-Man and Venom were the same character. That probably came from seeing Spider-Man wearing the black suit in Spider-Man 3. He was still recognizable as Spider-Man, but the new suit made him look darker and more aggressive. Eventually, that same symbiotic bond with Eddie Brock and Venom.
Looking back, it's a great example of how much color and style affect our perception. Spider-Man's basic silhouette was still there, but changing his bright red-and-blue suit to black completely changed how I understood the character. Before he said or did anything, the design already told me that this version was more dangerous.
Same Core Identity
The idea captured by Marvel is that each Spider-Man is recognizable but each version has its own personality, powers, suits. But all keep the same core identity. Helps those that need help.
Packaging Works the Same Way
Packaging creates that same immediate reaction. Put your logo on a brightly colored fry cone, and the brand may feel playful and family-friendly. Put the same logo on matte-black packaging with a minimal design, and it can suddenly feel premium, serious, or exclusive. The logo hasn't changed, but the customer's expectations have.
Brand Variations Can Still Feel Like You
Just like Spider-Man your business can have different variations such as a bold packaging style, a child playful style a more premium version, a cleaner look style. Just because you made a logo years ago doesn't mean you can't make variations of the same logo or try different ways to style your products. Maybe you want a premium feel for certain items, but other items you sell can have a more playful, fun vibe to it. Each item is your brand identity, but easily tells customers there are differences between your products. It's subconscious but effective.