Visual Hammer: how to enter the minds of consumers

What is meant by Visual Hammer?

If you haven't already become aware of these two words, just for pure assonance you could already imagine what I'm talking about: the Americans call it " Visual Hammer" (hammer image), we "eat spaghetti" we call it "Magnet Image" .

By "Magnet Image" we mean a visual, present on the packaging and not only, which identifies a product or brand and which represents it on the market and in the consumer's mind: in this way an unequivocal link is created which becomes indispensable for its recognizability. In practice, that simple image becomes synonymous with the product itself, reinforcing its presence in our imagination, a visual element that firmly fixes and focuses a particular brand or product in everyone's mind, which is instinctively and immediately recalled in the mind of the public.

Most of the time it is born on the packaging, but in many cases it is used and conveyed, thanks to its strength, in commercials and advertising campaigns. I could give hundreds of examples of magnet images. One of the most historic is the "Rio Mare" breadstick, which does not break but cuts the tuna, the one with yellow fins.

One of the most common examples you can find on the web is that of Coca Cola. This brand has a lot of history and is so strong that it really doesn't have "one" but rather "three" magnet images. Don't always believe what they offer you on an online page, think for yourself, what I'm about to show you is the demonstration of what comes straight to your brain with a single image:

In summary they are:

1) The silhouette of the bottle

2) The white wave on a red background

3) Illustrated Santa Claus

It is also essential to reinforce the naming and positioning of the product. In fact, a good magnet image helps not only to remember the brand but also its positioning.

When you think of Milka what comes to mind?

Surely the image of the "Purple Cow" will have come to your mind which with this magnet image leverages the Milka Brand Positioning:
Mountain Milk Chocolate, the healthy one, from the Purple Cow.

This is exactly the difference between a logo and a magnet image. The visual is not directly part of the logo design, but under certain conditions it is a very effective addition to the logotype. The magnet image is used in campaigns to improve brand recognition and can sometimes be even stronger than the logo itself.

I'll give you two visual examples of a magnet image towards the logo:

Corona Vs Lemon beer logo on the neck of the bottle

The Corona beer logo almost gets lost, it has no memory and no strength in the mind of the consumer. Most likely to the question: "Explain to me what the Corona beer logo looks like?" many would not be able to give you the answer and just as many would tell you that there is lemon.

Michelin Vs Little Man logo

This other example is very clear to explain how strong the magnetic image of the Michelin man is: this magnetic visual called "Bibendum" was so strong that over the years, Michelin tried to remove it from the logo but found forced to enter it again.

The importance of the magnet image

Returning to us, the development of the magnet image can be very important, if not fundamental, towards sales and towards the consumer. In fact, not creating a powerful visual for a company could be very penalizing or vice versa very advantageous. Once we have created this magnet image we have to use it on the front of the package, exactly like the example of Rio Mare tuna with breadsticks.

The visual key should always be contemplated in the development of a new project to be easily and quickly grasped. At the logo design stage, you should already consider which key visual element could be used in combination with it. Again, you should pay attention to the following:

• The visual key should be simple and understandable.
• It should be unique and unmistakable.
• It should be usable across different media.
• It should address the feelings of the target group.

To win the war on shelves, the magnet image is essential.

In today's world we are stuffed with communication, with advertising. All day, wherever we are. In fact, the human mind reasons in a simple way and in this communicative chaos it needs simplicity. The products have only a few seconds to capture the customers' gaze and convince them to buy, for this, the best way to enter the consumer's mind and try to stay there for a long time, is exactly why you need to develop and exploit an image magnet.

Those who have a magnet image on their Packaging very often hold the leadership, i.e. they are the Brand Leader in the reference segment. Will it be a coincidence?

The value of that image is very high both for marketing and for product branding.

Its role is, in fact, fundamental: it communicates and acts without using words, attracting the consumer who recognizes a certainty in those images. If it disappeared from the package, it would lose much of its magnetic power.

That's why developing packaging that includes a magnetic image is long-term insurance for the success of your product. It represents a certainty for the future because it allows your pack to exploit a real secret weapon that will not be evaluated by the consumer in a rational way, but will act in his subconscious.