An introduction to Winter.
I’m a little bit late off the mark this season, and Winter is here in full swing! The post-Christmas lull is over, and we now have the chance to relish in the season, enjoy what it has to offer and, if you’re anything like me, look forward to the arrival of Spring.
There’s no getting away from the fact that Winter is dark and cold, making it feel (at least to me) that little bit harder than the rest of the year, but it can also offer some wonderful opportunities to move inwards and get creative. I say this in every seasonal blog post I write, but it really is true that each season has it’s own personality. With that comes an interesting shift in mood, colour and vision, and moving with the seasons is a really interesting way to create a brand that feels energised all year round. Keeping things fresh in your brand is no small feat, but shifting with the natural changes throughout your working year will keep things inspiring for you and your audience.
Winter is an intense brand season —bold and commanding — and it comes with a punch that you just don’t get with the other seasons. You might be imagining a colour palette that is dark and moody, but the colours associated with Winter are much more fun and bright that you may think; there is certainly a coolness to it, but there are still some bold pinks, purples and oranges in there, alongside the more expected shades of dark green and black. I think that most of us will associate Winter with those darker, more muted tones, and that’s totally fine. How does Winter feel to you? For me, it feels powerful and fearless. Winter is completely uncompromising — it arrives with a bang, and it makes itself known all the way through to Spring’s arrival. I’m sure you’ll agree that, in comparison, Spring feels much more gentle and light. When I’m working on a brand with a seasonal personality based on Winter, it’s going to be dramatic and luxurious, and around this time of year my brand messaging feels proactive and energised (which comes quite naturally at the beginning of a new year anyway!). For me, this first chunk of the year is a brilliant time to reflect and refine. January is a period of new beginnings, and you’d be hard pushed to find a time where it feels more aligned and purposeful to look inwards, harness your creativity, and enjoy the process.
Don't be afraid to take inspiration from the seasons to your work. If you have read any of my previous seasonal blog posts, you’ll likely know that I like to welcome the seasons in the form of colour. The colour palette for The Brand House is largely neutral, which gives me the opportunity to introduce seasonal colours, in small amounts, throughout the year — in Spring I always add a warm green, in Summer I may go for a soft yellow or a calm, muted blue, in Autumn a dark orange or pink and in Winter perhaps a deep green or navy. Always do what feels right for you and your brand, but don’t be afraid to play with seasonal elements that add a little fun and excitement. You’ll probably notice over the next few months that my IG feed will look slightly different, as I carefully choose imagery and messaging that resonates with the season we’re in — never enough to create a huge point of different, but certainly to a level where it feels natural and relatable. If you’d like to introduce some splashes of Winter to your brand this year, here are some of my favourite ways to do just that:
- Adding a Winter inspired accent colour to your website or social media content. Deep greens and pinks could hit the mark, or a striking, intense red. Have a play around and see what feels right.
- Take extra care with your brand messaging, to make sure it feels empowering and energised.
- Carefully selecting the brand imagery you’ll use throughout the season, to be sure that it feels aligned with the rest of the changes you may make.
I’ve pulled together a moodboard for this post to share some of my favourite pieces of inspiration for Winter, and if you’d like to see more of my influences, please do take a look at my Pinterest board. I’ll be updating it little and often, and I do hope that it provides you with some inspiration for the season ahead!
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