Rock-Solid Brands

Learn the history behind some of the most recognized consumer brands in history, and study their visual identities that made them that way. We'll explore the histories behind how some of these products and businesses came to be, and the reasons that some have stayed powerful for generations, while others have faded away. You'll see examples of packaging, logos, advertising, and other fundamental elements of a brand's identity.

Get a Quick Introduction to the Essentials of Visual Branding

• Build your knowledge of key concepts used to identify products and businesses.
• Explore the histories behind some of the world's most famous trademarks, like the one for CBS Television.
• Understand how social change can drastically affect how consumers perceive a brand, as it did with Aunt Jemima, and how a company might respond to keep it from failing.
• Learn what might happen to a logo when two brands become one, as Cingular and AT&T Wireless did.
• Explore how a brand like Coca-Cola extends and strengthens its identity with elements beyond its logo.
• Study some products that have become so famous, that they lost control of their brand names, which became synonymous for their competition.
• See what happens when a rebranding fails because consumers don't like the new look.

The Key to any Successful Brand is a Strong Identity

I built this course for absolute beginners who want to get started learning about visual branding, and related areas like trademark and package design, and advertising. Even trivia buffs will find it useful! You'll need absolutely zero knowledge in design, business or marketing. In about 30 minutes, you'll see how the visual identity of a brand works, through over 20 clear examples of products and businesses with strong consumer recognition.

You'll find 13 video lectures, 24 external resources for further exploration, and four quizzes to test your knowledge on what you've learned. There are even some fun guessing games worked into the lessons.

Lectures use old and new examples of elements of strong brands, and explore how they came to be, and in some cases, how they lost their standing. You'll see why a product's identity may need to change, and when it's strong why protecting it is important.

Once you complete the course, you'll know be understand some essential concepts of brand identity, and know the history behind several famous consumer products and businesses, which will give you a strong foundation for further study in subjects like branding, marketing, graphic and package design, and the history of consumer trends.