We’re living in an attention-extraction economy. And in a world this crowded, most brands are lucky to get a glance—let alone a click, a cart or a commitment. But here’s the truth: people don’t ignore brands because they’re overwhelmed. They ignore them because they’re forgettable.
Most brands don’t stand out because they’re doing exactly what’s expected. Same look. Same language. Same playbook. The ones that break through? They hit differently. They connect in a way that bypasses logic and speaks straight to the gut. You don’t analyze it—you just want it.
At LPK, we believe extraordinary brands aren’t born—they’re built. And that extra isn’t fluff. It’s deliberate. Strategic. It takes guts. And over time, we’ve honed a framework to get there: the five criteria we use to take brands from ordinary to extraordinary. We call it GATOR—Gut Appeal, Anchor, Twist, Ownability and Relevance.
Let’s break it down.
GUT APPEAL
Gut appeal is primal. It’s that intangible pull that draws someone to a brand before they can even rationalize the why. You’ve felt it. We all have. That impulse, that curiosity, that subconscious lean-in.
To build it, you can’t just look at data. You have to look at desire. At LPK, we use a tool called Design for Desire, rooted in 16 primal human motivations—from power and status, to romance, sustenance, tranquility and saving. These are hardwired into us, and when you design with them in mind, you tap into something far deeper than features or values.
Consider Saratoga. It’s water. But its bottle is tall, cobalt blue, elegant—it’s unforgettable. It taps into romance, status, order. It’s sexy in a way you can’t explain. And that’s the point.
Most consumers can’t articulate why they want what they want. And if they do? It’s usually post-purchase rationalization. That’s the magic of gut appeal—it bypasses logic and lodges into instinct.
When you design for that, you’re not selling. You’re seducing.
“Great brands don’t just make sense—they make you feel something deep inside. Gut appeal is that powerful desire you can’t explain, it just pulls you in. When you hit that sweet spot, consumers don’t need a reason—they just want it. – Matt Moses, Senior Creative Director
ANCHOR
Anchoring is about linking your brand to something people already understand. It might be a category code, a ritual, a visual cue or a cultural metaphor. When the anchor is right, you’re being clear about who and what you are—and people don’t have to work to figure you out.
That’s critical, because consumers are conserving brain energy all the time. If they don’t have to make a decision, they won’t. If something feels off or unfamiliar, they’ll move on without a second thought.
It’s not about playing it safe. It’s about making sure your difference doesn’t cost you clarity.
TWIST
Once you’ve anchored, you’ve earned the right to twist. And if GUT is the soul of a brand, TWIST is its spark.
In a world of infinite scroll and perpetual sameness, twist is how you re-engage the brain. It’s what jolts a consumer out of autopilot. It makes them look twice, think twice and care.
Done well, a twist isn’t just a gimmick—it’s a reframe. A disruption. It’s a strategic, brand-aligned departure from the expected.
Take Liquid Death. Sparkling water, in a tallboy can. With tattoo typography and a death-metal name. That’s a twist. It didn’t just enter the category—it blew a hole in it.
We’re seeing a wave of brands chasing twist through wild collabs, absurd April Fools stunts, or attention-grabbing campaigns (Velveeta hair dye, anyone?). But here’s the danger: when twist is disconnected from your core brand equity, it’s just cheap attention. And cheap attention doesn’t build brand value.
True twist demands bravery. Most brands aren’t built to be uncomfortable. But comfort never made headlines.
We’re constantly pushing our clients to go further here. To play with tension. To take risks. Because twist—when done right—is what gets you remembered.
“Find that thrumming moment of tension—that’s where your twist lives. Whether born from an electric consumer insight or out-of-category inspiration—it’s how brands can step outside of their comfort zones and say something unexpected, but true. It will make all the difference between blending in and getting remembered.” – Alex Lohmann, Creative Director
OWNABILITY
Brands that rise above don’t just play in the space—they claim it. Visually. Verbally. Viscerally.
Ownability is about distinctiveness. It’s about building a brand so uniquely you that even your smallest assets—a color, a tagline or pattern—are unmistakable.
Think of Nike’s swoosh. McDonald’s arches. The Tiffany blue. You don’t need the name to know the brand. That’s ownability.
To get there, you have to throw some elbows. You have to create, protect and flex the assets that no one else can touch. That could mean sacrificing efficiency for memorability. Or investing in brand systems before it feels “necessary.” But the payoff? It’s legacy.
Brands that own their space don’t just grow—they become iconic.
RELEVANCE
When a brand knows the job it’s doing for its audience—and does it better than anyone else—it becomes more than useful. It becomes meaningful.
Relevant brands understand the problem they’re solving and the transformation they’re enabling. They know exactly what job their product or service is hired to do—and which primal desire it’s meant to satisfy. That might mean delivering confidence, offering comfort, sparking energy, creating a sense of escape or fueling a drive for impact.
These aren’t just benefits. They’re instincts. And when your brand connects at that level, you earn something harder to win—and longer to last—than attention: relevance.
Because when a brand shows up to do a job that matters, in a way that feels deeply human, it will always have a place in people’s lives.
So what do you do with this?
Look around. Pay attention. The extraordinary brands—the ones that move people, shift categories and stand the test of time—they all do these five things. They’ve got gut appeal. They’re anchored in what people already know. They twist the expected. They own what’s theirs. And they stay relevant by solving real jobs, rooted in real human desire.
Because when it comes to ordinary? No one wants to waste their time, their money or their careers on it.
ABOUT LPK
LPK applies insightful strategy and beautiful creativity to harness change—making momentum that grows brands and businesses.
