
Best Examples of Visual Hammer and Verbal Nail in Action
Have you ever felt like your brand is getting lost in a sea of competitors?
Or you’re not quite sure how to make your brand stand out from the crowd 🤔
It’s time to take matters into your own hands 🙌🏼
I’ll let you in on a secret we marketers use: ‘Visual Nail and Verbal Hammer’ is all you need for your brand to fly high 🛫
Marketers and advertisers worldwide live by this mantra whenever their brand needs a push and it has proven its power for decades.
But what exactly does it mean?
Meaning behind ‘Visual Hammer, Verbal Nail’
The mantra consists of 2 parts, the ‘Visual Hammer’ and the ‘Verbal Hammer’. Here’s what they individually mean.
‘Visual Hammer’ from the phrase itself refers to the visuals of a brand.
As an average person, it’s only natural that the first thing that attracts us to anything at all are the outside appearances.
In the case of brands, it’s the visuals that make the first impression.
From your brand logo to social media postings to website designs – in business, visuals matter.
Knowing this, it is crucial that brands come up with designs that becomes the tool of attraction, hence the ‘hammer’ 🔨
Now, you can already get the gist of the second phrase, right?
‘Verbal Nail’ is as figurative as it is literal. The ‘verbal’ part here refers to any taglines, melodies, or even jingles from brands.
And like a nail being hammered consistently, the verbal element of your brand must be repeated anywhere and everywhere your target audience goes.
Combine both ‘visual hammer, verbal nail’ and it creates one of the best marketing strategies of all time.
But what good would it be if you don’t know how to use it, right?
So let’s take a look at some of the best visual hammers and verbal nails of the modern day.
The Chicken Rice Shop
During its upbringing, The Chicken Rice Shop (TCRS) was everywhere. I’m not exaggerating!
From radio shows to TV advertisements, you can identify how the brand looks and what they sound like from just their name.
The infamous jingle ‘The Chicken Rice Shop~ Chicken Rice and more!’ runs through our veins 🎶
Even without the melody, you instinctively know how to sing it.
What’s even better is, they have a localised Malay version, ‘The Chicken Rice Shop~ Bukan sekadar nasi ayam~’ and finished off with a chicken clucking at the end.
What a classic!
Seeing how their jingle has stuck around for decades and people still know the melody, it goes to show how well ‘verbal nails’ work 👏
And with TCRS’s delicious looking meals on brochures, social media, buntings, and almost everywhere else, no one can escape their delicious chicken meals.
Image credit: The Chicken Rice Shop
Their consistency in branding with colours, brand personality and identity has made it so irresistible.
I, personally, can’t help singing the jingle every time I see their advertisements.
And just like TCRS, other brands have also mastered the art of ‘visual hammer and verbal nail’.
It doesn’t take a lot for people to get used to a brand.
Even with just the colours, if consumers see the colour combination enough times, it’s most likely that the brand has already been imprinted in their minds.
Don’t believe me?
Try and guess this brand from their colour palette.
I bet it looks familiar, right?
Although this brand doesn’t really appear much in TV commercials and radio ads, they are much loved by the public.
Fun fact: they have an estimated of more than 2,400 branches nationwide.
That is more than enough to be visible in the eyes of their target audience.
Convenient, available almost everywhere, and recognisable from a mile away!
If you haven’t figured out the brand, it’s at the tip of your nose 👃🏼
Here’s their verbal nail for a quick refresher:
One of the best verbal nails out there and no words were involved, just a simple ‘ding, dong!’ 🔔
7 Eleven has time and time again proven to us that you don’t need much to stay in everyone’s train of thoughts.
The right visuals and the right verbal cue goes a long way.
You just need to have a catchy tune and play it everywhere your target audience is and you’ll be set as a recognisable brand 👍🏼
Did you know, radio channels are one of the most effective platforms to play your verbal nails?
When it comes to advertising, radio channels can be an incredibly effective platform to get your message across to a large and engaged audience.
Get your jingle on the radio and have it played repeatedly.
You’d be surprised how many people can recite phrases or songs repeated on the radio word by word.
Have a quick listen to one of the most addictive jingles I heard on the radio recently.
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The jingle perfectly sums up the mission and purpose of the brand, BerryC.
And with the catchy tune, it did just the job 😉
From the products they offer to the audience they target, this jingle has proven to be successful in terms of representing the brand and keeping the brand in people’s minds.
And you know what happens when you get a jingle stuck in your system. You’re bound to search it up online 📲
That’s when BerryC’s visual hammer comes into play.
The brand uses pink as their main colour, representing compassion and love which is perfect for their target audience – caregivers and more specifically mothers who are always looking to keep their families safe from unseen dangers 👀
You’ll see that their visual representation from their website to their social media platforms, BerryC sticks to their brand identity.
Consistency in brand identity and brand portrayal is very important to ensure that people can instantly recognise your brand whenever and wherever they go.
Key Takeaway 🔑
In a world where competition is fierce, standing out from the crowd is essential for any brand’s success.
The Visual Hammer and Verbal Nail mantra is a proven marketing strategy that helps you build brand recognition.
Visual elements such as logos, colour schemes, and website designs, along with verbal cues like jingles and taglines, make a lasting impression.
Consistency is key, and repetition of these elements across all platforms will ensure that your brand remains memorable and recognisable.
By taking inspiration from successful brands like The Chicken Rice Shop, 7 Eleven, BerryC, and Wonda Coffee, apply this strategy to your own brand and propel to new heights.
And on that note, don’t hesitate to contact us! We’ll help you make the most addictive jingle and boost your brand just like Wonda Coffee.