Recently, the new concept line I wrote for Friends stirred debate in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet for its unorthodox wording. Or, to be more precise, for its mix of English and Swedish.
The columnist was swinging quite hard against advertising and brands that use English when targeting a Swedish-speaking audience. And I get it. Because when English is used merely as decoration, when it doesn’t add meaning to a message, it’s pointless. It can become distancing, rather than bringing the brand closer to its audience. And in that sense, we agree.
But a brand’s voice is a prominent part of its identity. It’s a reflection of its personality. A reflection of its values. And it’s a cultural bridge. And luckily, all languages are born free. Because it’s when we allow ourselves to explore and look beyond conventions that we can find a tone that becomes meaningful and authentic. That connects. So, yes. I’m all for tweaking existing words, inventing new ones, mixing languages, or breaking every possible rule in order to develop a brand voice that bites, and a language that cuts.
”When we allow ourselves to explore and look beyond conventions that we can find a language and tone that becomes meaningful and authentic.”
— Fredrik Achatius
And in the case of Friends’ new concept line, En friendligare värld, it’s quite far from using English merely as decoration. We’ve come up with an own word that not only stands out, but is tightly connected to the brand Friends. And it has real value. Because while it pisses one columnist off, it has been proven to give deeper meaning to Friends’ purpose, and is credited by their audiences. So, no nonsense, in that sense.
Thoughts?