Life is Good ... Isn't It?

As I strolled through Los Angeles International Airport on my way to Miami, I took notice of the "Life is Good" store that is in many airports. At 6:00 a.m. it was closed, but my branding brain is always going. I'm guessing that I was the only one who was taking note of the three different people I saw wearing different pricey Life is Good garments (one cap and two T-shirts). Heck, I'm on my way to our Sail to Success Cruise to the Bahamas, so "Life is Good" for me!

I buy into the branding experience as well, purchasing Harley Davidson T-shirts at Harley stores from Nashville, Tennessee to Kona, Hawaii. When I visited Wisconsin a while ago, I bought branded stuff from the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee and at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. I'm in the apparel decorating business. I know what it costs to screen-print a shirt and while it pains me to spend $30.00 for a T-shirt, this type of branding is about memories of an experience and connection with a brand.

Of course creating positive brand recognition for our clients is one of the cool things we get to do in our industry. We will have the opportunity to learn more about this in the keynote presentation from Ken Schmidt, the former director of communications for the iconic brand Harley-Davidson. Ken will be doing a keynote presentation at the PPAI Expo. I am very much looking forward to this session.

"Life is Good" makes a unique branding statement. Go figure that simple design elements with a simple message would be such a hit. I'm guessing that those who identify with "Life is Good" relate to the idea that "Life is Good." What makes a good life? I reflect on this idea as I am writing this from the deck of the Norwegian Sky cruise ship overlooking the Bahamas.