I Thought Branding Was Just Aesthetic. I Was Wrong.

And why trusting your partner’s obsession might be your biggest unlock.

In the early days of building our businesses, I focused on what I believed were the “serious” parts – operations, logistics, growth strategy, funding.

Branding? That felt like dressing up the product.
Something you do once everything else is working.

Vivy saw it differently.

From day one, she obsessed over every detail – the font, the logo shape, the shade of purple, the lighting in photos, the tone in our captions. She’d notice things I didn’t even register.

I used to think, “Okay, but does this really move the needle?”

It took me years – and thousands of customer interactions – to realise:
That was the needle.

---

The Things That Actually Stick

The things I lost sleep over – cash flow forecasts, warehouse layout, delivery SLAs – rarely got mentioned by customers.

What they remembered instead:

• The purple

• The dUCk logo

• The way every post “sounded like dUCk”

• The consistent aesthetic, no matter the product

Over time, I learned that branding isn’t just what your business looks like. It’s what people feel when they see you.

And the truth is – the ones who feel it most clearly at the start are often the ones we brush off as being “too into the visuals.”

---

The Campaign That Had It All

If there was one campaign that embodied everything Vivy cared about – the visuals, the narrative, the cultural depth, the brand voice – it was #dUCkTravels.

It wasn’t just a travel series.
It was our brand identity in motion.

But what people saw on Instagram – the seamless visuals, the luxurious vibes, the historical depth – looked like something produced by a 20-person crew.
Photographers. Stylists. Makeup artists. Lighting people. Assistants. Editors. Social media leads.

Here’s what it actually was:
Just the two of us.

---

What Actually Went Into #dUCkTravels

More often than not, it was just me and Vivy on a three-day trip, trying to cram what looked like a global campaign into a long weekend.

• Day 1: Land. Recce. Plan. We’d walk through tourist-heavy locations mapping out logistics, timing, outfits, lighting.

• Day 2: Shoot. Vivy would wake up before sunrise to do her makeup, while I ironed five outfits. I’d be the photographer, she’d be the model and creative director.

• We’d shoot outfit after outfit – five in a day wasn’t uncommon – across five different locations.

• Go back to the hotel. Change. Repeat.

• Day 3: One last sunrise shoot. Then straight to the airport. Back to work.

And the results?
Magic.

People thought we hired entire production crews.
We didn’t.
We She just had a vision – and wouldn’t rest until we nailed it.

---

It Wasn't About Luxury – It Was About Identity

We didn’t just go to pretty places. Vivy made sure each destination meant something:

• Alhambra, to rediscover the height of Islamic civilisation in Europe

• Istanbul, the centuries-old melting pot of East and West

• Cape Town, to trace the journey of the Malays and Islam to South Africa

These weren’t content trips.
They were cultural storytelling.
And through them, our customers didn’t just buy a scarf – they bought into a worldview.

A feeling.
An aspiration.
An identity.

---

Trust the One Who Cares About Things You Don’t

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned:
Your partner will care deeply about things you don’t.
And that’s usually a good thing.

We tend to assume the things we focus on – the numbers, the timelines, the systems – are the ones that matter most.

But often, the details someone else obsesses over – the ones you think are secondary – turn out to be the thing people remember you for.

So if you’re building something with someone, and they’re going deep into something you don’t quite understand?

Let them.

Let them overthink it.
Let them go too far.
Let them care.

Because years later, you might look back and realise:
That was the brand.

---

Final Thought

Branding is easy to dismiss at the start.
It doesn’t show up on your P&L.
You can’t A/B test it overnight.
You can’t tie it to one dashboard.

But over time, it becomes the thing that makes your product feel like something more.

I used to think branding was just about aesthetics.
Now I know – it’s the fastest way to build meaning.

And meaning?
That’s what lasts.

Fadza

I always enjoy hearing from readers. Whether it's feedback, stories of your own, or if you'd like to collaborate - feel free to reach out: fadza@offtherecord.media

Looking forward to connecting.

---

PS – For the Brand Appreciator

My journey with dUCk has really made me appreciate brands — not just the products, but the stories, the personality, the little quirks that make them feel human. One brand that really stood out recently was Super Gulp - a local brand of prebiotic soda.

Fun. Playful. Bold branding. Tastes good. And low sugar! If you read Vivy’s latest post – you’ll know we’re at that age where we need to control our sugar intake.

They’ve been kind enough to offer 20% off for Off the Record readers with the code OFFTHERECORD20.

No pressure. Just vibes and big gulps.

Tell me your favourite brand and what you love about it.