Personality is the new premium: Overcoming mid-branding in modern design

Rosie Berrecloth
22 hours ago
3 min read

Updated: 5 hours ago

What is mid-branding and why does personality matter?

Mid-branding refers to visually safe, overly sanitised, and emotionless visual identities stemming from digital optimisation and template-driven design. As minimalist aesthetics saturate the marketplace, distinct personality and playful design have emerged as the primary drivers of brand recall and emotional engagement. Discover how Threerooms builds distinctive identities that break through digital noise.

→ We asked AI to create a brand from scratch. Here’s why agencies don't need to panic.

The saturation of minimalist "mid-branding"

We have hit a wall in modern brand design. Looking at recent high-visibility brand overhauls, the overwhelming sensation is a collective sigh of "okayness".

Clean, minimalist design is not inherently flawed: it is simply saturated.

Democratised design tools and digital optimisation have created an era of "mid-branding" where visual identities feel safe, sanitised, and uniform, as monitored by industry bodies like the Design Council UK.

When every business adopts a polite, sans-serif visual style to look frictionless on a mobile screen, distinctiveness vanishes. By striving to offend no one, brands build forgettable visual systems.

However, a rebellious counter-movement is emerging. Designers are reclaiming expressive, unconventional elements to build meaningful connections on the bleeding edge of user tolerance.

→ The marketing advantage no one can afford to ignore

Case studies: Redefining playfulness and brand personality

1. Fhirst

In a crowded functional beverage market, Fhirst rejected serene, clinical wellness cues. They launched a vibrant, unhinged visual identity with bright gradients, lightning bolts, and playful dolphin mascots. This distinctive branding appeals directly to a lifestyle-driven demographic.

2. Clue Perfumery

Clue Perfumery subverts traditional luxury fragrance conventions through surreal editorial imagery and unconventional copy. Product shots featuring snails and goldfish in fish tanks elevate loamy, unexpected aesthetics into an aspirational lifestyle brand.

3. Liquid Death

Valued at over $1.4bn on Forbes, Liquid Death transformed plain canned water into a cultural phenomenon. By incorporating heavy metal aesthetics, humorous product names like "Rest In Peach", and bold marketing stunts, they built an iconic brand identity.

Heritage rebranding: The G.F Smith strategic pivot

Distinctive realignment is not exclusive to emerging startups. Heritage paper manufacturer G.F Smith operated with a respected minimalist identity established in 2014. In 2025, recognising that "classic" felt static, they launched a vibrant rebrand featuring an omnidirectional logo forming a smiley face, reported by Design Week.

Despite criticism from design purists, the shift successfully re-energised the brand for a new generation of creators, demonstrating that emotional resonance outweighs safe design consensus.

Benchmark your brand identity

Is your visual identity truly distinctive, or is it slipping into mid-branding? Complete our free Brand Health Scorecard to evaluate your brand's market strength and receive targeted recommendations. Explore more strategic branding resources on our website.

If you are a marketing or business leader looking for an agency partner that prioritises world-class results over old-school traditions, let’s talk.

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Threerooms is a multi-award-winning brand and creative agency with 20+ years of experience transforming brands at critical moments. We help organisations stand out, realign and succeed – with strategy that’s sharp and design that cut through.

From new brand creation to meaningful evolution, we work as a true extension of your team.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main risks of mid-branding?

The main risk of mid-branding is reduced brand recall. When visual systems blend in with competitors, marketing efficiency drops and customer loyalty wanes.