Why brands are more like bands than you think

A band has a unique sound and style that fans pick up immediately. Think of Coldplay: every album feels fresh yet stays true to their melodic signature. Brands work the same way. Take Nike: every campaign is different, but the core message ‘Just Do It’ and the visual style remain consistent.

Compound creativity strengthens that effect. By combining existing brand assets (tone of voice, visuals) with new trends or formats, a brand stays both recognisable and relevant. We’ve already applied this approach for clients like BelOrta and ACM Insurance.

For BelOrta, the challenge was huge: how do you turn local fruit and veg into a strong national brand? The answer wasn’t constant reinvention, but creative consistency. With a powerful brand platform (‘Heerlijk van hier / Un délice d’ici’) and the right distinctive brand assets (such as the ‘O’ and the sonic branding), BelOrta grew into an icon. The results speak for themselves: BelOrta is now the undisputed number one top-of-mind brand in its category, with brand consideration rising from 43% to 56%.

The task for ACM Insurance was just as ambitious: how do you move a brand from unknown – and therefore not considered – to known and preferred? Once again, we chose a similar route, with the brand platform ‘Gemoedsrust verzekerd’ and a distinctive brand asset in the shape of a dinosaur.

Bands build a community of fans who don’t just listen to the music but embrace the lifestyle around it. The BeyHive doesn’t only follow Beyoncé for her songs, but also for her values and style. Brands like Apple do something very similar: customers aren’t one-off buyers, but loyal fans who experience each product launch like a live show.

Compound creativity makes that bond even stronger. By mixing in cultural elements, a brand builds a broader emotional connection. By weaving technology, design and lifestyle together, Apple becomes a brand that truly resonates.

Neuroscience shows that music activates the brain faster than language. Repetition makes melodies predictable and pleasant. That’s why songs have choruses: they stick. In marketing, it’s no different. Brands have their own ‘refrains’: slogans, jingles, familiar characters… These mental shortcuts create mental availability: your brand pops up first when a need arises.

Artists don’t become iconic by making every album completely different. They keep their signature sound and innovate within that familiar frame, adding a new layer to their body of work every time. Think of Ed Sheeran, who surprised on his album Play with new cultural influences.

That art of layering is exactly what compound creativity is about. LEGO is a great example. Beyond toys, they also create games and films, but always in line with creativity and play. The universe expands, but the brand DNA stays the same.

Music triggers emotions and memories. An Adele track can instantly bring back a personal moment. Brands like Coca-Cola tap into the same mechanism: their campaigns focus on happiness and togetherness, not just on soft drinks.

Compound creativity amplifies that emotion. By linking familiar feelings to unexpected elements or formats (AR, user-generated content, AI tools), the impact becomes bigger.

For Wibra, we used that sense of surprise to flip people’s preconceived ideas about the brand. Within our campaign concept ‘Da’s wauw van Wibra’, we surprised them with hidden gems and benefits they hadn’t yet linked to Wibra. Brand consideration shot up by 48%, from 16.4% to 24.1%. A result that’s nothing short of ‘wauw’.

Campaigns are the songs. Brand building is the discography. Dare to develop your own sound. Dare to let recognition come back again and again through compound creativity. Because it’s through repetition and variation within that recognisable frame that you build a fanbase. Brands that understand this, win. Brands that make every campaign sound totally different fade away like a one-hit wonder.