A Mental Shortcut in People’s Minds
How iconic brands earn cultural recognition—and what newer brands can learn from them
Some brands don’t need to explain themselves anymore. Their presence in culture is so ingrained that a simple phrase or visual cue is enough to spark recognition and emotion. They don’t have to fight for attention—they just remind us of what we already know.
Take three recent campaigns:
Kellogg’s ‘OG’: A bold, stripped-back campaign that simply calls Kellogg’s cereals the “OG”—a shorthand for ‘original’ that taps into modern internet language. No explanation needed. The point? Kellogg’s is the cereal brand. Others may exist, but Kellogg’s defines the category.
Heinz ‘It Has To Be’: A campaign that leans into the universal truth that people don’t just want ketchup, they want Heinz. The phrase “It has to be” lets the audience fill in the blanks because we already know the answer. The brand is so culturally dominant that anything else feels like an off-brand substitute.
British Airways ‘A British Original’: A campaign that plays with the idea that every traveler’s reason for flying is uniquely personal—yet British Airways, as an institution, is part of that journey. The airline embeds itself into individual experiences, making itself less of a corporate entity and more of a constant in the background of life’s biggest moments.
When Your Brand Is the Reference, Not the Explanation
These campaigns work because they don’t need to introduce or justify their brands. Instead, they reflect their audience’s existing perception back at them. That’s an enviable position—one built over decades of cultural presence, advertising, and product ubiquity.
But most brands don’t have that luxury. They don’t yet own a mental shortcut in people’s minds. They aren’t the ‘OG’ of their space, the definitive choice, or the backdrop to everyday life. And that’s where the challenge lies.
How to Cut Through When You’re Not an Icon (Yet)
For brands that don’t have built-in cultural shorthand, the playbook is different. They can’t just wink at the audience and expect recognition—they need to earn it first. That means:
1.
Creating Distinctive Assets Early
Before Heinz could confidently say “It has to be,” it spent decades owning its red, its label, its bottle shape, its taste. Brands need to invest in assets—whether visual, tonal, or conceptual—that can become synonymous with them over time.
2.
Building Emotional Connection First, Recognition Second
British Airways can let its audience do the emotional heavy lifting because it has long been intertwined with personal travel memories. A lesser-known brand can’t rely on that—it needs to actively create those emotional moments through storytelling, experiences, or unexpected creative angles.
3.
Owning a Point of View, Not Just a Product
The brands in these campaigns aren’t just selling food, condiments, or flights—they’re reinforcing cultural truths about authenticity, quality, and personal journeys. Brands without built-in awareness need to go beyond ‘selling’ and instead attach themselves to an idea that resonates.
The Endgame: Becoming the Reference
Kellogg’s, Heinz, and British Airways can lean back because they’ve already done the heavy lifting. The goal for other brands isn’t to imitate this strategy but to earn the kind of familiarity that allows it. That means being distinctive, emotionally resonant, and culturally relevant—so that one day, they too can run an ad that simply winks, and everyone just gets it.
