We love how these five brands show exceptional individuality that must be admired. Here’s to the darers, the pioneers, the trailblazers, striding purposefully away from the crowd.

#1 PATAGONIA

Authenticity from integrity

The outdoor pursuits and lifestyle brand have always stood for their number one customer – the planet. On arguably the biggest day for retail in the lunar calendar, Black Friday, they chose to run an ad in the New York Times asking everyone that they “Don’t Buy This Jacket”, using it as an opportunity to give to environmental causes. This is not just a one off publicity stunt, either – the brand have bravely imposed their own Earth Tax, donating 1% of sales to environmental non-profits.

Their sense for wellbeing extends beyond the planet and to its inhabitants too. Patagonia they have a commitment “not to be bound by convention”, and in keeping with that, they closed their stores in another peak trading time – between Christmas and post New Year – “because our people need a break.”

“Patagonia is different. It doesn’t strive to connect with people authentically. It just is authentic. Its authenticity stems from its integrity.”
“What makes Patagonia different is its products are manufactured to such high quality that ultimately you need to buy less because you get more out of the stuff you already own. The purpose of its products – to help people enjoy nature – are made in such a way that it preserves nature.”
– Dr. Martina Olbert, founder, Meaning.Global

#2 LIBRA

Positively empowering

Despite making amazing strides in openness, honesty and forward-thinking, there are many who would like some (very natural things) kept under wraps. Libra is one brand that dares to challenge outdated views and gatekeeping of women’s bodies, running a ‘period positivity’ program. It seeks to open up a space for candid conversation around periods, empowering young women in the process.

Releasing a new range of period underwear features a bold poster campaign declaring ‘Wear Bleed Wash Repeat’. It wasn’t without comment or backlash. This isn’t anything new for the brand who received complaints in 2019 for their brave ad showing red menstrual blood (instead of fake blue liquid used by other brands). Thankfully, the complaints were rejected with the Advertising Standards Authority stating, "The panel noted that the depiction is an accurate presentation of a real physical occurrence."

This only further fuelled the brand’s mission to break down stigma and normalise discussion of periods. This attitude has inspired their own to the point slogan, “Periods are normal. Showing them should be, too.”

#3 DARING

Living up to their name

Daring is known for their plant-based ‘chicken’ products and a commitment to caring for the planet.
They’ve even created a platform, called ‘Daring Moves’ throwing a spotlight and supporting ‘daring’ people who create meaningful change in the world. These include Michelle & Ollie Carrera who provide vegan food relief to communities in need and Alex Taylor, founder of Hoop York City which aims to close the gender pay gap.

Daring is caring is another brilliant initiative that aims to improve every aspect of the business to be more sustainable and eco-friendly.

“For our inaugural partnership, we donated 100% of one month’s proceeds from the sale of our plant chicken on daringfoods.com to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Equal Justice Initiative, and The Okra Project. As a company committed to changing the world, we proudly stand with those who refuse to tolerate violence, inequality and oppression, and who are so vibrantly bringing about the change we need.”

Being proud to be who they are has gathered the right kind of attention – there’s a familiar face in recording artist Drake who’s invested to help spread their food and their message.

#4 WEETABIX

Beans’n’bix equals infamy

We love Weetabix’s attitude. Their ‘Beanz on Bix’ was crowned Marketing Week’s campaign of 2021. Inside Weetabix HQ, there’s a brave culture at play, where ‘brave spaces’ are created to voice ‘any hare-brained idea’ to a member of the leadership team. This is exactly how the best ideas are allowed to flourish and it’s a reminder of how we all create the best ideas when we’re feeling unfettered and unbound by convention.

It’s paid off – their brand awareness has increased from 15-40% in the last year alone, perhaps being the reason for their 15% increase in sales the weekend the campaign ran.

This ‘yes, and’ mantra, favoured by improv comics has given the team carte blanche to take risks with their pitches. “We’ve made brave work happen by trying to create an environment where it feels less brave and less bold.”

“If we put a tweet out about beans on Weetabix, what’s the worst that can happen? It’s just marketing, it’s not world peace we’re talking about here. It’s a bit of fun.”
– Gareth Turner, head of brand

#5 SAD GIRLS CLUB

Getting real

A brand that is near and dear to our hearts (check out our case study of the rebrand here), as we had the pleasure of working with founder Elyse Fox on their rebrand in 2019, winning a Brand Impact Award in the process.

Sad Girl’s Club was founded by Elyse to tear down mental stigma and create a safe space for women to express feelings without judgement (in particular Gen Z and millennial women of colour). This brave, thriving community offers support, workshops, virtual group therapy sessions, and much more.

We created their fresh brand line ‘small talk real talk’ to represent the duality of the community. It has humour, it’s engaged in the zeitgeist, but it does this with depth. Both Sad Girls Club and the community dig deeper than small talk, exploring issues which are both personal and critical for wellbeing.

“I would have never thought four years ago we would be where we are today. We were in a state of proving ourselves for such a long time as a new Black owned organisation. This is something that has been stigmatised for years and years and years and it won't stop anytime soon but we can move the needle forward and heal the world together.”
– Elyse Fox, Sad Girls Club founder

OUR 5 TIPS TO BE BRAVER WITH YOUR BRAND

Whatever it is, do it with conviction and never apologise
F*** trends, do you
Create an ‘anything goes’ culture
Trust your instincts
Don’t be afraid of failure

This month, visit our Brave Hub where we’ll share more throughout January.

Stay tuned, stay brave.

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What makes a brave brand?