Graphics, Photos, Videos

9 Big Branding Trends For 2023

Creating a recognizable brand is essential for standing out from the crowd. Done right, branding can make a great first impression, keep businesses front of mind, and attract potential customers.

Brands are looking to keep their visual designs fresh, fun, and engaging. Whether you want to help customers create a stand-out brand or you simply want to make a lasting impression on your customers, here are the top branding trends for 2023.

1. Daring Nostalgia

Author Credit: andrewtimothy

Retro trends have been making a comeback in recent years and it doesn’t look like the styles of the past are going to fade.

90s pop culture, the Y2K aesthetic, and retro designs have made a resurgence over the past few months as brands travel back in time to find inspiration.

Brands are looking for nostalgic content as it allows people to take a trip down memory lane and connects them to simpler times.

“Whether psychedelic patterns, layered 3D typography, or retro color palettes, we’ll see design and branding go back in time, contrasting with the minimalist trend we’ve seen over the past few years,” explains brand designer and founder of Pink Pony Creative, Kristy Campbell. “Daring nostalgia is a way to express a brand or business in an engaging, daring, and vibrant way. The trick is ensuring a brand remains timeless over the years.” 

The Y2K aesthetic remains popular as creatives, creators and brands rediscover the charm of this fun style. Brands are looking for funky Y2K designs like these eye-catching Instagram templates by andrewtimothy, which feature gradient colors, retro frames, and chunky fun fonts.

For a more retro feel, these retro backgrounds by NassyArt will help brands bring their print or web graphics to life with groovy swirls and bright sunrays. While this 2000’s bubble-inspired font by CkyBe gives off trendy Y2K-grunge vibes and allows brands to explore the freedom of the early 00s.

With the rise of social media, especially TikTok, we’re seeing a slew of niche retro looks reappearing. Nostalgia design is back in a big way – and it isn’t going anywhere.

Mark Brodhuber Video Content Specialist, Envato

2. Powerful Use of Color

Author credit: helloDigi

Color can be a powerful branding tool as colors can significantly impact graphic design trends, aesthetics, mood, and consumer behavior.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen the use of subtle subdued colors, this year we’re expecting bold, optimistic palettes.

“The recent mixture of cyberpunk and Y2K trends have resulted in people using a lot of bright, glowing, neon colors in their videos. While that trend hasn’t quite fizzled out yet, we’re seeing a growing trend of more subdued, but still rich and bold colors being used more and more. Especially in designs for luxury or lifestyle brands or items,” says Mark Brodhuber, Envato’s Video Content Specialist.  

An Author who is making waves in this space is danjazzia, he has attracted a following for his colorful, abstract graphics and illustrations that feature a bright and bold color palette.

For brands looking to refresh their palette, this customizable Instagram Stories template by TMint will allow them to experiment with the text, colors, images, strokes, and shapes. Or, this cosmetic mockup by helloDigi proves that a single shade can also pack a powerful punch.

3. Pushing Design Boundaries

Author Credit: GrussGott

It is becoming increasingly common to see Anti-Design content on the web, in print, and in video. By using mismatched fonts, jarring layouts, and gritty animations, anti-design strives to represent a rebellious, non-conformist break from best practices and design rules. 

Anti-design has found its way back into the mainstream,” says Envato Senior Digital Designer, Keiron Lewis. “From print design to digital branding, it’s breaking all the rules.” 

As more brands aim to deliver something different, designers are making bold decisions and going against the status quo as they integrate innovative formats into their work. 

Brands are looking to push design boundaries, which means that pretty much anything goes. Think low-res graphics, blended font families, misplaced pixels, and overlaid visuals that aim to compromise the viewing experience.

Social media templates like this Brutalism template by Colorama and stories package by GrussGott are in high demand on Elements. Brands can easily customize their designs to create a bold and busy composition.

4. “New Eco”

Author Credit: Kheathrow

While eco-branding continues to grow as a movement, it’s moving in a minimal, futuristic direction resulting in simplified, monochromatic color palettes. “Gone are the earth tones and soft treatments,” says Envato Senior Digital Designer Keiron Lewis. “The new iteration of eco branding will be more minimal, aspirational, and future-focused.” 

Featuring stacked sans serif typography and understated graphics, this cosmetic packaging mockup by Kheathrow is a masterclass for brands in using minimal design to have maximum impact.

5. Animated Logos

Author Credit: HiPixel

“Video consumption is rapidly rising, and both companies and individuals are creating more video content than ever”, says Mark Brodhuber, Envato’s Video Content Specialist.  With that said, we predict that more brands will make the shift to animated logos this year.

“Animation is a unique way for brands to tell their story and stand out from the crowd while allowing marketers to package a brand’s message into a concise, intriguing, and entertaining narrative that will stick in consumers’ minds like a static image cannot”, says Ruby, founder of The Brand Kit

Animated brand logos can express personality. Look at Google‘s moving logo, too. Morphing between a microphone, a four-color G, a line of ‘listening’ dots, and the recognizable Google name, the GIF represents the search engine’s services speedily and stylishly. 

This dynamic cyberpunk-inspired logo reveal by Dream_motion allows brands to experiment with color and fonts, while this animated logo pack by HiPixel provides a vintage look.

6. Statement Typography

Author Credit: PrioritypeCo

Designers have been experimenting with typography and are looking for something new to try in their graphic design work. Brands looking to get creative with typography are searching for fonts like this collage-inspired font by Ramzehhh, which comprises newspaper-style clippings and old-school typewriter text to create a chaotic effect.

This chunky font by epdesigns is another great example of what customers are searching for. The quirky design will inspire brands to push the boundaries of experimental and futuristic designs.

“A lot of typography-heavy designs are leaning more towards highly stylized sans serif lettering that usually has a lot of character. We’re also seeing a growing movement around the use of distortion and morphing of the characters within words. Where a word may stretch, skew, or reposition different elements during the animation,” says Mark Brodhuber, Envato’s Video Content Specialist. 

To learn more about what’s trending in typography, check out our most popular fonts on Elements.

7. Humanized Brands

Author Credit: elmous

Authenticity is essential for brands that want to connect with customers online so many businesses are investing in humanizing their brands in order to build trust and audience loyalty.

“A humanized brand often suggests a friendly, unpretentious company whose products are crafted by human hands and motivated by genuine passion,” says Ruby, founder of The Brand Kit

For example, brands may highlight customer stories on their socials and even introduce employees to build a connection with their audience. This cute customizable testimonial template is a great way for brands to add feedback and five-star reviews to their social feeds. While this Instagram template by elmous allows brands to showcase the fun side of their business.

8. Pop Culture Influence

Author Credit: Typo-land

Did you think TikTok was just for teenagers sharing dance routines? Well, think again!

“TikTok is used by 30.25% of the world’s internet users – that’s over 1 billion active monthly users globally. On average, users spend 90 minutes a day on the app. Having a presence on TikTok as part of your marketing strategy is becoming as important as coming up in Google Search results,” says Hannah Copeland, Senior Social Media Specialist at Envato.

As our love of scrolling and swiping grows we are seeing an increase in demand for social media content like these TikTok templates. In this day and age, brands are essentially content creators. So, if something’s trending on social, it’s essential to get in on the action.  

We’re seeing brands utilize influencer-esque formats and enlist employees to create content. This includes Envato – you’ll notice a range of faces across our TikTok feed as our team gets in front of the camera in reaction to TikTok trends! 

Using cool social media templates like these Instagram Stories by GrussGott will help brands to create a social presence that stands out from the crowd. While these fun TikTok Elements by JustaMotion are a great example of how brands can get involved and celebrate pop culture.

9. Retro Collage

Author Credit: nixstudioedition

The retro collage trend is all about crafty illustrations. Think brushstrokes, ripped paper edges, scrawled fonts, and cutout collages.

Crafty illustration is popular on social media and customers are looking to incorporate this trend into their brand strategy. This Film Polaroid Social Media Template by dirtylinestudio brings real-world textures into the digital realm. While this After Effects constructor bundle by nixstudioedition will help brands create captivating collages.

That does it for the branding trends we’re predicting in 2023! We look forward to seeing your work on Elements. For more visual trends, check out our graphic design trends for 2023.

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