Lessons in branding from a 5 year old.
“Daddy, why are the words all different on the top of the shops?”
We are stuck in the school-run traffic jam.
My daughter is looking out of her window at a row of shop facades.
“They are called typefaces, darling.”
“I can’t see any faces in them?”
“No, what I mean is they’re the same letters that are in your alphabet book but they make all the letters look a little bit different so that people notice them a bit more.”
“I don’t like that curly one, it’s hard to read.”
“That’s called a ‘script’ typeface. It’s sort of like handwriting – only neater.”
“It’s not neat if you can’t read it.”
“That’s very true.”
I’m drumming the steering wheel now hoping the lights will change. Only two cars got through the lights the last time. Bloody right-turners.
“Why do they want people to notice them more?”
“Er, so they stand out from all the other shops.”
“Stand outside the shop?”
“No, er… So they can appeal to people who might want…”
“Like orange peel?”
“No, love. Not orange peel. A-ppeal. It means to get you interested. To attract your attention.”
“To stand at attention outside the shop?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes.”
“Well, I don’t like it.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t?”
“You must have a reason?”
“No I don’t.”
“Are you going to be a client when you grow up?”
“No. I’m going to be a mermaid.”
“You can’t be a mermaid, it’s physiologically impossible.”
PAUSE.
TEARS.
“Okay, you can be a mermaid.”