Case Study | The Art & Science of World-Building

West Africa and London, the places that shaped the life and vision of Foday Dumbuya, founder and creative director of Labrum London, are woven into every aspect of his fashion brand. Textiles, patterns, silhouettes and sounds from both areas can be found across the label’s clothes and furniture design.

In Los Angeles, Richard Christiansen, the founder of Flamingo Estate, writes long weekly letters to customers, as well as regular books, describing how his life is unfolding at his bucolic home. He includes updates on his beekeeping, goat-rearing and gardening, events he’s hosting and attending and celebrities he’s spending time with, telling the story of what it feels and looks like to slow down and embrace a more mindful way of life.

And in New York, LoveShackFancy founder Rebecca Cohen has built her entire life around the girly aesthetic of her brand, decorating her home according to its design codes and vibes. She invites her audience into it through both social media and architectural publications, becoming the central figure in her brand’s story.

Setting, story and character are concepts most commonly associated with creative fiction works like literature, films and video games. But, as with the examples listed above, they’re increasingly being applied to brands through the idea of “world-building,” a literary term that’s taken hold in modern marketing, especially when it comes to aesthetically driven categories like fashion, beauty, luxury and lifestyle.

Today, the hallmarks of good branding are table stakes: a clear image and logo, cohesive messaging and products that fill a market gap and are memorable enough to create recall and recognition. But increasingly, they aren’t enough. Brands are engaged in constant competition for shoppers’ attention and loyalty, and they aren’t just battling against each other. They’re vying for customers’ time and money against entertainment, wellness and any number of experiences offered elsewhere.

Brands that can offer escape, identity, aspiration and a sense of belonging are the ones successfully drawing shoppers, and they do it by selling more than just products. They construct immersive universes that consumers can participate in, develop emotional attachments to and buy their own piece of when they make a purchase.

This case study examines successful examples of world-building today and the elements involved. Featuring interviews with founders and marketing leaders across four very distinct brand worlds — Labrum’s homage to West African culture, Flamingo Estate’s lush California garden, LoveShackFancy’s feminine fantasy wonderland and Farm Rio’s celebration of Brazil — this case study covers the elements they all have in common when it comes to the setting, characters and brand narratives they employ. It also includes interviews with creative and branding experts on best practices for approaching these elements, and discusses common pitfalls that brands may face when working on keeping up the longevity of their worlds.

With a clear vision and the right execution, every brand is capable of building a world its customers will want to immerse themselves in.