Welcome to Brand Dump, a weekly newsletter where I share things I’ve learnt or discovered around branding, creative direction and tools that are changing our industry.

Today’s topics:

The Women’s Super League (WSL) have announced a rebrand for their visual identity last week and there are mixed emotions. Some fans are nonchalant about a visual change but other fans are outraged.

Here’s why the rebrand worked (in my eyes), and what it’s missing and how this could have prevented the backlash they’re receiving.

The WSL in had a problem… The old brand blended in with the Premier League. It had the same vibe, same style and was even designed by the same agency. (Hence the similarities). I mean it literally looked like the old EPL branding.

When it comes to branding, doing things the same never built anything new...

Here’s what I think it works so well:

It breaks away from the Premier League look. No more shared identity.

Women's Football isn't Men's Football. It now stands on its own. It grabs attention like nothing else in sport currently. Bright, graphic, and loud on purpose. It sparks debate—and that sparks growth.

It speaks to younger fans, visually. Stickers. Punchy palettes. Appealing to an entirely new Gen Z audience.

But here’s where I think they went wrong and why so many people are unhappy.

There was no clear fan research or input into the rebrand.

Women’s football has a real opportunity of doing something completely new by building with the fans.

Insight builds long term connection and loyalty. Listening makes fans feel seen. It turns a brand into a community. Design can spark change. But insight sustains it.

For the most part, this brand is a win in my eyes. Unfortunately, with anything new in the football world, it tends to come with over the top backlash and pointless sarcasm, like this article for example.

I’m not sure what “…gives someone-falling-fast-down-a-mountainside-due-to-unsuitable-shoes vibes” even means.

Where this article loses credit for me is when she doubts “…what the design will be like to print on shirts, hats, towels and friendship-bracelet beads”. I can imagine this new design all over merch and on stickers covering kids laptops. Can you really imagine the old branding on a t-shirt?

Ultimately the purpose of branding is to retain existing customers and attract new ones.

Will this rebrand deter current fans? I don’t think so. Looks alone doesn’t build loyalty. Will this rebrand attract new fans? Time will tell but I certainly think so.

I don’t think any of us can quite predict how monumental this piece of news could be for our future selves 2 years from now.

OpenAI just made the boldest hardware play we've seen in years, acquiring Jony Ive's io for $6.5 billion.

For those unaware, Ive’s is the mastermind product designer behind the Apple products everyone came to love, including the iPhone, iPod and iMac.

His ability to understand customer needs from a human psychology and evolutionary point of view are unmatched and in my opinion, is the reason Apple are struggling today without his guidance.

This acquisition by OpenAI marks not only their investment and trust in Ive’s but also their entry into the hardware market.

The new piece of hardware is reportedly going to be called “Aura”, and as described by Sam Altman, “It’s basically a glorified failed Humane AI Pin. But this time, we will make it work…”

Here’s why I think OpenAI’s $6.5 billion gamble will pay off:

Jony Ive’s brilliance lies in a unique blend of design philosophy, obsessive attention to detail, and an almost spiritual reverence for simplicity.

Ive consistently put the user at the centre of every design decision… not in the shallow sense of asking people what they want, but by observing human behaviour and interpreting needs.

He once said: “We try to develop products that seem somehow inevitable. That leave you with the sense that that's the only possible solution that makes sense.”

His ability to deeply understand, and anticipate what customers actually want, even when they can’t articulate it themselves is unparalleled and in a world of AI I think this is what makes OpenAI’s gamble one to keep a close eye on.

The reason Apple’s brand feels so emotionally resonant, premium, and even human, is because the products themselves were meticulously crafted with care, love, and an obsessive focus on the user.

If OpenAI is willing to spend $6.5 billion on Ive’s design philosophy, to me this signifies the importance of placing the customers needs and interests at the core of your brand.

The best brands in the world aren’t guessing what their audience wants.

They’re listening, watching, and building with them.

Customer Insight > Creative Guesswork

The WSL’s bold rebrand broke free from the Premier League’s shadow, finally giving women’s football its own identity. Visually, it nailed the assignment… bright, graphic, and unapologetically Gen Z. But the backlash? That came from a missing piece… fan input.

Jony Ive didn’t build Apple’s iconic products by asking users what colour they wanted. He observed, anticipated, and understood human needs before we knew how to articulate them ourselves.

Now OpenAI’s betting $6.5 billion on that same philosophy, because deep customer understanding is what makes hardware (and brands) feel human.

Here’s what this means for brand builders:

👉 Don’t just design for people, design with them

👉 Your customers hold the key to longevity, not your logo

👉 Insight isn’t just research, it’s a strategy

Co-creation, not just creation. Listening, not just talking. Depth over aesthetics.

Authenticity may spark attention. But insight builds trust and trust is what keeps people coming back.

Design something people feel part of, not just a fan of.

This section highlights AI tools and learnings that I’ve experienced throughout the past week. Everything below is organic and non-sponsored unless indicated.

‣ I found this video that debates whether “AI is making us dumber” super interesting. I have already found myself relying on AI too much and am constantly wondering whether this is actually reducing my cognitive ability. Will these skills become redundant like maths became with the calculator or is there actually a need to focus on these skills?

‣ I have been using Ideogram a lot lately. I think this tool is great for graphic designers. You can see it in use throughout my episode feature images and also my LinkedIn posts.

‣ Ever wondered what the difference is between ChatGPT’s models are? Adrien Thomas’ LinkedIn post explains it perfectly. I have already found a lot of success using GPT-4.5 for writing.

This section includes things I have found interesting and helpful this week.

I briefly touched on it last week, but Nike’s “The Trial Of Luka Doncic” video is another brilliant example of Nike’s revitalised marketing. It has a perfect balance of athlete-first storytelling but also showing his cultural relevance and connection to the fans. A theme Nike has clearly been focussing on.

Aime Leon Dore and New Balance have just teased their very first shoe line together. What makes this video so brilliant is the focus on showcasing the amount of work and thought that has gone into this product, which seems to be a core theme of both brands and why so many people love their products. Simple but effective.

Stripe’s conversation with Jony Ive is a must watch for anyone looking to build a brand in 2025. Whilst the focus is on product building, Ive’s philosophies where he talks about creating from a place of love is in my opinion, what made the Apple brand so special years ago.

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