branding a la camerounaise

As our first monthly assignment – sponsored by the Taiji Brand Group – we set out to do a treatise on branding in Cameroon – more specifically, a “man on the street” assessment of how branding is carried out here, what does it look like, and what does it tell us about life here.

“Branding”, as we defined it anyways, is any visual depiction of a place, organization or product that would let a common person on the street know who they are and what they do. Of course, done ineffectively, branding can do quite the opposite!

In the attached PDF document you’ll see some of the highlights.  We’ve seen a little bit of everything – from hand-stenciled signs for nonprofits to beautiful artistry on the walls of dry cleaners.  Check out Royal Treatment for Your Clothes.

In Notoriety by Association you’ll see how some build their identity on the coat-tails of others – Barack Obama, Bill Gates or Western Union.

We’ve also been frequently confused by nonprofits who had verbal diarrhea on their naming day!  Check out A.R.G.H.  – Acronyms Really Gone Haywire.

What we ended up with here is a broad glimpse at some of the visual and contextual appeal of the messages of local, national and international organizations, businesses and products that permeate every-day Cameroonian life.

From the absolutely serious, to the downright amusing – this is what we found here in Cameroon…

Branding Report_Web