Recently, I had the opportunity to attend an Adele concert with some very close friends. I knew that the concert would be truly amazing because, well, it’s Adele and she has a beautiful voice. What I was not expecting was the level of branding and attention to detail during the entire concert experience! Being a designer myself, I’m hyper sensitive to branding. Yes, we all notice it but we don’t all see it the same way. If you know what you are looking for, you can see the thought process and level of planning come though. Branding is not only about how things look and where they are placed, it’s about creating an emotional response to an experience, product or service in an effort to create loyalty. For Hitch, this is something we strive to do for all our clients.
When we first walked into the arena to find our seat, (which was on the floor, 3rd row back!), I noticed right away that the floor was dark and so were the chairs. They seemed to blend in together as if they were non-existent. As I scanned the room, I took note of the setup of the stage. The screens were already on and had an image of Adele’s iconic eyes. They were closed with her signature winged eyeliner. If you really took a minute to watch, you would notice that it wasn’t an image of her eyes, but an actual video as if it was a live feed. We speculated that when the concert started her eyes would open, and we were right.
When Adele came on stage, the venue erupted and it became clear to me that the brand was her. There was no opener, just Adele and us. She was dressed in a beautiful black gown that caught every light in the room and sparkled all night long. She was wearing flat shoes and lovingly addressed it as “just practical” a few songs into the night. High heels didn’t match her personality at all. She owned herself, and her personality could be found in every detail.
She shared stories that had the audience laughing hysterically. She brought people who caught her eye up on stage for a chat. She made fun of herself and shared personal stories about each song before she began to sing. She talked to us like we were old friends she had known for years. As she walked from stage to stage she would look you straight in they eye and sincerely tell you “hello.”
It was important to her that you could see her at all times. Screens lifted and dropped from the ceiling depending on where she was standing.
She made it a point to be relatable, real, and most of all funny. Everyone in that room was her best friend that night. I can remember actually sitting in my seat exactly one time — and that is because Adele told us all to sit down — because she brought us all chairs! Of course, we were all on our feet again after the very next song.
Just when I didn’t think she could go any farther with her brand, the concert ended and we were showered with hand-written confetti! I mean showered. I put out my hands and captured several dozens of the small white pieces of paper with lyrics from her song, a short thank you for attending and a signature.
The point is, pay attention to the details. Every touch point or interaction you have with your customer should reflect your branding and who you are. It may not be obvious to them, but I can assure you it will be memorable. Another reason why working with a professional designer who can envision and create this experience for your customer is so beneficial.
We are happy to create an Adele experience for you, so visit our portfolio to see if we are a good fit for your business.