Building an iconic brand. One smile at a time.
When the SmileDirectClub brand started, our visual direction was fresh, new, and bold. But after four years the brand was starting to get lost in a sea of direct-to-consumer brands that all looked the same. It was time to shake off the DTC look and establish ourselves as the stand alone brand for your smile.
We focused on four areas of the brand, color, visual language, photography, and movement.
Creatives: Bruce Henderson CCO, Kathy Keen CD, Peter Mannes, CD
Color
Bold color = Brand
Refining the brand color palette was about two things, removing the overused pastel colors that have become so synonymous with DTC brands, and refining the use of our most bold color, Blurple (yes, it’s called blur-ple). The brand leads with Blurple and white, followed by a secondary palette of light gray, medium gray, and black.
Original color pallet.
Refined color pallet.
Visual language
We introduced a system of smile shapes that center around the circular shape of the human face.
This system enables us to elevate and draw focus to a smile, while also subconsciously represent one in the absence of a real smile. These smile shapes expand the brands visual language and help us to drive consistency and memorability across all of our markets, domestic and international.
Our shape system consists of the smile circle, smile arc, and smile icon.
Photography
We expanded the brand photography to include an editorial view of having a better smile.
People in real environments caught in genuine, expressive moments invite emotional connection. We celebrate how smiles connect people, open doors, and express our inner selves. This helps us to communicate the emotion benefits and power of having a transformed smile.
Whether shooting editorial, studio, or product photos with people, we want to capture genuine smiles that are not posed, or fake looking. A genuine smile expresses real emotion and is often found in the moments in between. In between a punchline and a full reaction, or in between a breath and a belly laugh.
Movement
Our brand motion consists of three types of movement: Scale, Wipe, and Shift. Each expresses our brand’s promise of transformation.
This motion language brings the brand to life in both emotional and functional ways across our graphic graphic shapes, in footage, and typography.
Scale
Wipe
Shift
Scale
Intentionally changing scale is a way to create visual impact. It can both direct the eye to specific information and bring the viewer closer to the content, inviting a deeper connection.
Wipe.
The wipe style of motion allows you to transition horizontally from one state to the next, reveal new content, or make a message flow into view.
Shift
Shift uses vertical motion to frame and reframe content. It is an invitation to look at something in new ways.
Logo movement
All three styles of motion come together in the master logo animation. It contains all the DNA of our motion language, making it a fully-realized expression of the brand.
