Bring Your Brand to Life IRL ✷ The Humm

"People ask me, 'What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?' and my answer must at once be, 'It is of no use…What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy.

And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to live. That is what life means and what life is for.”

― George Mallory, on climbing Mt. Everest

⭐ Prefer to Skim? Just follow the stars ⭐

Hey there, Reader,

I've designed a lot of logos, but I've never worn one as a temporary tattoo.

But that's exactly what happened at the International Climbers' Festival (ICF) in Lander, Wyoming. My festival "ticket" for the week was a temporary tattoo of the very design I'd created.

In addition to being a brand builder, artist, and designer, I also love rock climbing, which is exactly how this special project landed in my lap.

Their brief for their branding was clear: move away from the illustrated, character-heavy design they'd used in years past toward something more graphic and bold, and something that could flex across shirts, posters, tumblers, and digital without losing itself.

They wanted to celebrate Lander specifically: the local environment and the western cowboy culture all woven together with the climbing spirit that brings everyone back year after year.

I decided to build a handmade, collage-style mark made up of individual elements that could stand alone or combine, mirroring the way this festival actually works with diverse people coming together to make something whole.

Then I got to Lander to attend the festival.

At the welcome table, every volunteer was wearing a shirt with the design. People were handing out YETI tumblers with the mark stamped on metal, tote bags, and crop tops that actually fit me (a genuinely rare and delightful thing).

I have never seen my own design out in the world like that. Not in a mockup or on a website, but physically out there in the world surrounding us on people's mugs at breakfast and on their forearms as they walked to the crag.

Watching people wearing the art all around me was a different kind of connection to a project than I've ever felt before. The brand didn't just look good. It came to life.

⭐ All of which got me thinking about how much joy (and how much marketing power) there is in simply getting your brand into the world IRL, in people's hands, and in their everyday lives.

I've been playing with this in my own business too, with organic tote bags and hand-printed hats - something that folks can actually enjoy wearing and using.

And it turns out branded merch really sticks. On average, people hold onto a promotional item long enough to see it (and be reminded of who made it) over 3,000 times.

⭐ Most people can still tell you which brand gave them something months later, and most say it makes them like that brand more.

But let's be honest, not all merch needs to exist.

We've all gotten the boxy, shapeless unisex tee from a 5K that's full of sponsorship logos and has no artful design aesthetic whatsoever. ⭐ Merch done cheaply and thoughtlessly will give off that exact vibe: cheap and thoughtless.

⭐ The difference between merch that builds your brand and merch that brings it down usually comes down to a few things:

Would you actually want it if it weren't free? If the honest answer is no, skip it.
Is it made well enough to last? A tote that survives a season of farmers' markets does more marketing over time than a hundred cheap totes that fall apart in a month.
Does it fit the person, not just the budget? A boxy unisex tee that fits no one well says "we didn't think about you" louder than any tagline could.
Does it reflect your actual aesthetic, or just whatever the cheapest bulk option was?

So here's where I'd start if you want to try this too, sourced with an eye toward quality, not just quantity.

⭐ Branded merch ideas that I'd actually want to use:

Insulated mugs and tumblers with metallic printed branding
Embroidered Hats and Socks
Temporary Tattoos
Sustainable totes and clothing (and lots of other goodies)
Woven Patches
Tissue paper & packing materials
Seed packets

Just pick the one or two things that actually fit your brand values and what you offer.

Once you've found your branded goodies, here's where I'd start with putting your brand out there IRL.

⭐ Start with the beginning and the end of a client experience, two moments that already exist for you, whether you've thought of them as "brand touchpoints" or not.

When someone new signs on, send a small welcome kit. A sticker, a card, a tote, maybe a seed packet, mailed shortly after they say yes. It doesn't need to be elaborate; it just needs to give the relationship a tactile first touch, especially if everything else about working together lives online.

And when a project wraps, don't let it end on a screen either. A handwritten thank-you card, or a small goodie bag with something they'll actually use, closes things out the way a good ending should. It means a lot more than it costs, especially in a digital age where most "thank yous" arrive as an automated email.

If you're curious about how to build a cohesive visual identity that works wherever you are, digitally or IRL, a Brandventure Call is a free, low-pressure place to start. Just a conversation about where you're at and how I can support you.

Book yours here.

What I'm Into lately:

→ Summer gardening: my chard is the biggest I've ever grown, and my tomatoes and basil are finally timing themselves together. I've also found a way to outsmart the local gopher: scattering spicy greens seeds until it's overwhelmed by a sea of heat (which seems to be working!).

Thanks so much for taking the time to read!

I appreciate you being here.

Warmly,