The brand I chose for this exercise is Nintendo. I’ve had a bit of an obsession with the company since early childhood and engage with their content quite regularly so I’d say that I’m quite familiar with the way that they brand themselves.
Word Bank
- bringing smiles to people’s faces
- fun
- family-friendly entertainment
- video games
- gaming
- pioneering
- innovative
- enjoy games anytime, anywhere, with anyone / play together anytime, anywhere with (insert console)
- experience(s)
- classic
- surprises
- for everyone
- ! ( technically not a word or phrase but they use them a lot)
- new
- Direct(ly)
- discover
- play
- interact(ive)
- adventures
- mii
- family (of systems ie. Switch family, 3ds family etc.)
- play with friends and family
- enjoy/joy
I’m sure there’s more words that could be added here but these are the words and phrases that feel particularly on-brand that Nintendo has been using in recent years.
Brand Dictionary
Nintendo main goal is to bring people joy (smiles to be exact) with their games. This is why the jargon and terminology they use to communicate with consumers is very much in keeping with their values. When advertising new games, consoles, features, updates etc. be on their websites, socials, emails, brochures etc. they like to use fun and playful jargon and calls to action that usually relates to what they are advertising. Example: I got an email recently advertising the new Monster Hunter Rise game where they said ” Rise to the challenge and join the hunt!”. I think that these kind of calls to action are far more engaging and enticing than just simply saying “New game, buy now”.
As I mentioned previously they really like to add exclamation marks at the end of their sentencing and this combined with a use of personal pronouns makes it almost as though they are a good friend of yours, enthusiastically recommending something they think you’ll like a lot. Although some people may not appreciate this, I think it’s really fun and engaging and brings a smile to my face which is what they want.
Tone of voice
Nintendo’s raison d’être is bringing smiles to people’s faces with their unique, fun and challenging, family-friendly gaming experiences. This is why it makes perfect sense that their tone is usually casual and up-lifting. The playful, colourful but strategic language they use when advertising new games, consoles, features etc. lends to this tone. As I mentioned before, they use personal pronouns and exclamations to make you feel as though they are a close friend, this leans them into a more friendly and intimate tone as well.
Thoughts
Before doing this exercise I never really understood or even thought much about why Nintendo use the words and phrases that they do. Now I see how it fits in perfectly with the values that they are trying to convey. I think that overall taking on this exercise was very beneficial. By taking a deeper look at a brand I love I have been able to grasp a better understanding of how integral the right words are to branding. This exercise has also helped me to get a bit better to grips with copywriting and that’s good too.