TikiPiki: Custom Tiki Illustrations for Summer Lifestyle Brand

The Challenge: Brand Identity Through Custom Illustrations

TikiPiki is a summer lifestyle brand located in Los Angeles and promoting all things joy and fun!

We created a series of Tiki custom illustrations for this client that not only serves as the brand identity but also as a series of t-shirt designs to launch their t-shirt line.

This challenge requires:

• Brand identity: Custom illustrations serve as brand identity
• T-shirt designs: Series of t-shirt designs to launch t-shirt line
• Summer lifestyle: Promote all things joy and fun
• Themed illustrations: Themed illustrations create impact

Custom Illustrations: Art That Sets You Apart

Creating custom illustration designs for clothing and apparel including t-shirts is an art in itself. These days the rate at which t-shirt brands are launching is mind-boggling. There is a lot of noise in the marketplace. Design is at the core of any t-shirt business and custom illustrations set you apart from the competition.

Custom illustrations that are themed can create quite an impact. The secret to awesome-looking illustrations is creating clear and crisp drawings and versatile vector artworks. When these vector artworks are scaled up on clothing and apparel, they retain their crispness and look stunning on t-shirts or other clothing items.

This approach works because:

• Art in itself: Custom illustration design is an art
• Competitive market: T-shirt brands launching at mind-boggling rate
• Design core: Design is at core of any t-shirt business
• Competitive advantage: Custom illustrations set you apart
• Themed impact: Themed illustrations create quite an impact
• Clear and crisp: Clear and crisp drawings and versatile vector artworks
• Scalability: Vector artworks retain crispness when scaled up

Themed Illustrations: Limited Edition Opportunities

Themed illustrations also create an opportunity to create limited edition prints that can be sold through creative social media campaigns. However, make sure that you have a plan and a focused brand strategy before brainstorming for theme ideas.

Brand Strategy: Buyer Profiles and Brand Vision

Coming up with themed designs starts with your buyer profiles. Understanding where your buyer is in their journey will inform you of the themes and design styles that would make for a successful sales campaign. Of course, demographics are critical but you should also consider psychographics before you embark on custom illustrations for your clothing and apparel items.

When we work with a fashion client, we start with exploring ideas that align closely with their brand vision and brand mission. If they do not have these, we help them come up with these messaging ideas and help crystallize their brand essence. Once you nail these critical components of brand messaging, they will make it easy to come up with design themes and ideas.

This brand strategy works because:

• Buyer profiles: Themed designs start with buyer profiles
• Buyer journey: Understanding where buyer is in their journey
• Demographics: Demographics are critical
• Psychographics: Consider psychographics before custom illustrations
• Brand vision: Ideas align with brand vision and brand mission
• Brand essence: Crystallize brand essence
• Design themes: Brand messaging makes it easy to come up with design themes

Pre-Launch Strategy: Building Story and Context

Rather than simply create designs, out them on your apparel and try and sell them, start with building a story and context for the designs and theme even before you begin your sales cycle. Plan out a pre-launch social media campaign to garner interest in your community. Tease out the launch and create buzz.

This pre-launch strategy works because:

• Story building: Build story and context for designs and theme
• Pre-launch campaign: Plan pre-launch social media campaign
• Community interest: Garner interest in your community
• Launch buzz: Tease out launch and create buzz

Results: A Brand That Promotes Joy and Fun

The custom illustration designs we created for TikiPiki successfully serve as both brand identity and t-shirt designs to launch their t-shirt line. The themed Tiki illustrations create quite an impact with clear and crisp drawings and versatile vector artworks that retain their crispness when scaled up on clothing and apparel, looking stunning on t-shirts and other clothing items.

Today, TikiPiki uses these custom illustrations to attract customers who want summer lifestyle products promoting all things joy and fun, positioning them as a Los Angeles summer lifestyle brand with themed Tiki illustrations that serve as brand identity and t-shirt designs, creating limited edition opportunities and building story and context through pre-launch social media campaigns that create buzz and garner community interest.