Constructing an emotional world

Credit: The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor on Twitter)

The Twitter account @culturaltutor this week discussed how architecture influences our perceptions of characters in movies.  It probably influences perceptions of certain brands in the same way.

The argument is that architecture is often a metaphor for a character’s personal traits.  To wit, “When we see the cottage in Snow White or the farm in Star Wars we already know, without being told, an awful lot about the people who live there. Humble, rustic, decent folk.”

A character’s architectural roots are inextricably linked to that character. “If we simply imagine Ron Weasley living in a Modernist mansion, or Frodo in a Gothic castle, we can see how important architecture is to storytelling.”

Architecture also conveys emotions. For example, the shire in Lord of the Rings is exceedingly green and the buildings are all leafy cottages and rustic farmhouses. The scenery makes us feel safe and comfortable, and serves as a stark contrast to the unknown world that Frodo and friends encounter later.

Lots of brands use architectural allusions in their brand names and/or their packaging. 

• Hillshire Farm and Pepperidge Farm, for example.  Or Hidden Valley Ranch.

• Tate’s Bake Shop cookies calls to mind a little corner bakery in The Hamptons. 

• Cracker Barrel brings a style of rural architecture to life in its logo and its restaurants.  

• Pizza Hut famous uses a red hipped roof in its logo (and in its older restaurants) to convey a small-town hominess.  

• Talbot’s has (or used to have) an iconic red door that made shoppers feel they were entering a special and somewhat enchanted space.

• Aesop cosmetics stores are another place where form and function are tightly connected.

These cues probably influence brand perception more than most people realize. As researchers, we should pay close attention to these cues and understand the meaning behind them.