When most people outside of marketing and creative departments hear the word “illustrations”, they’re likely to think of children’s books.
The truth is, illustrations are present far and wide in our world, and your business can benefit from the unique flair and delight that illustrations provide, regardless of the industry you’re in.
Read on to learn how!
The Different Sections of the Illustration “Menu”
There are different ways you can incorporate illustrations into your business. I’ve used the familiar analogy of a menu to explain each of them.
The Appetizer
A taste, but you’re not committing to the full meal
Perfect for: businesses with established or existing brands who want a bit of flair or novelty
This is one of the more common ways to use illustrations, especially for already-established brands. With this option, you’re able to enhance your brand with a dash of novelty while maintaining recognizability as a business.
This can be especially powerful to engage your customer base, whether you use illustrations on social media, marketing materials or merchandise like t-shirts and stickers.
My work for Two Roosters and Piedmont Pennies are two shining examples of businesses opting for the illustration “appetizer”.
Both of these companies used my illustrations for stickers that they either sell in shop or give away at trade shows and in customer orders. Pennies has also used my illustration in social media and on thank you cards they include in their orders.
Customers get a taste for your business in a unique and engaging way without being overloaded.
The Entree
The “whole enchilada”
Perfect for: new businesses or those looking for a brand refresh
The entree involves using illustrations in your core branding, whether that’s your logo, supplemental brand elements, or both!
With this option, illustrations make a statement on behalf of your business and your brand. If you’re considering whether to go all-in on illustrations as part of your brand, consider your audience and your messaging. Ask yourself:
Who is my target audience?
Are they sophisticated and elevated, or are they drawn to warmth and friendliness?
What do I want my brand to say about me and my business?
Am I wanting to convey that my mechanic shop is professional, clean and efficient, or is the main thing that sets me apart as a mechanic my down-to-earth, patient personality?
The goals of a children’s boutique called The Laughing Turtle may align better with an illustrative brand than a brewery or a utilities company, though your audience does NOT have to be children/families to benefit from illustrations.
One place illustrations can add to a brand that may not naturally lend itself to illustrations is through a brand “mascot.”
Stickermule does this especially well. Their logo is pretty standard and straightforward but they have a little donkey (the “mule” in Stickermule) mascot who appears on the website in various places and in customer orders as a sticker.
Dessert
The sweet treat that makes a special occasion special
Perfect for: businesses wanting to do something special for a specific, time-limited marketing campaign or season (like the holidays)
Ah, dessert. You may not order this at every meal, but you definitely treat yourself on special occasions.
This option is similar to the Appetizer in its appearance (it might be found on merchandise or swag items), but is being used for a very specific purpose and (often) for a limited amount of time.
Illustrations become all the more powerful for your business when they’re part of a specific campaign.
Here are two examples of the power of illustrations in a campaign.
Ease Plumbing’s NIL deal with Leaky Black
Ease and UNC basketball player Leaky Black teamed up for an ad campaign with the tagline “No Leaks in this House”. This was a perfect pairing between Leaky - one of the best defenders in college basketball - and Ease Plumbing, the ultimate “defenders” of your home (from plumbing issues).
For the t-shirt design that went along with the campaign, Ease chose an arguably more memorable route from typical sportswear designs. Rather than create another shirt that looks like it belongs on a fan, they used an illustration of Leaky.
They played off of his role in the campaign as a defender, donning a superhero cape and goggles, holding a pipe wrench in one hand and a basketball in the other.
This was successful because:
It stood out from the sea of shirts typically seen in the sports world
It was out of the box, particularly for their industry
It put their athlete Leaky at the center of the campaign in a unique and unexpected way
Weddings
Weddings are another industry where illustrations thrive. Weddings are an incredibly personal experience, with the couple’s touch on everything from the music to the members of the wedding party.
So why not use illustrations to bring your life and personality into your big day?
A few projects I’ve done in the wedding space include:
Dog portraits for wedding matchbooks and koozies
Weekend “maps” for out-of-town guests showing the weekend itinerary plus the couple’s favorite places in their city
A venue sketch for save the dates
While “desserts” are limited in scope, and may not come around that often, they’re high in impact. Illustrations help to communicate your message AND make sure that message has staying power with its audience.
Conclusion
So you’ve got the illustrations, now what?
Next month in Part 2 of this blog series, I am diving into the nitty-gritty of how you can implement your shiny new illustrations, and make sure you’re actually getting the most bang for your buck.