5 Brands the Nerds Love and Adore

5 Brands the Nerds Love and Adore

a light bulb in a dim room
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NerdBrand wanted to share the nerdy brands and ad campaigns we’re most fond of. From pizza and movies to chocolate and fashion, see what a few Nerds had to say about their favorite brands.

Jason Davis – CEO, Co-founder

I love many brands. But one that I love is Slack. Communication is so important in relationships, business, account management, and more. How can you share an idea, tell someone quickly what you are imagining. Or simply message a reminder.

The last part is my favorite. Slack has grown exponentially over the last few years, and without it, NerdBrand would have struggled more during the pandemic meeting our customers needs.

Learn more at: https://www.youtube.com/c/Slackhq/

Mitch Gregory – Creative Director, Co-founder

My favorite nerdy brand is Marvel.

Whether it’s the decade-long renaissance they’ve achieved in film, or the launch of their streaming series via Netflix and Disney Plus, seeing their pantheon of incredible characters and stories unfold in these formats has been a dream come true.

Marvel superheros as a group in celebration of Marvel's birthday.

Marvel superheroes as a group in celebration of Marvel’s birthday.
They’ve been able to maintain (and even grow) the mythos of these properties with hardcore fans and ushered in a whole new generation of devotees who’ve likely never picked up a comic book.

And quality.

Though some properties stumbled in the early 2000s, what Marvel learned in their early endeavors, through the steady guidance of fellow nerd Kevin Feige, has helped them craft incredibly entertaining films. Marvel’s brand shows that it continues to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe well as its fanbase.

What Marvel as a brand has achieved is nothing short of remarkable. It’s a testament to sticking to creative marketing “first principles” and taking the audience along for the ride.

Jonathan Payne – CXO, Co-founder

My favorite nerdy brand is Nike.

I’m always impressed they’ve managed to reach this level of notoriety using the same brand identity for nearly 30 years. On top of that, Nike’s co-founder, Phil Knight, admitted he wasn’t a fan of the swoosh logo but decided to stay with it.

(Trust your agency!)

Nike advertisement showing young girl playing tennis with text overlaid saying, it's only a crazy dream until you do it. Followed by the Nike logo and slogan Just Do It. Part of the Nike campaign with Serena Williams.

The Nike advertisement shows a young girl playing tennis with text overlaid saying that it’s only a crazy dream until you do it. Followed by the Nike logo and slogan Just Do It. Part of the Nike campaign with Serena Williams.

Nike is one of the few brands that effectively marries their advertising campaigns with their brand identity.

“Just do it” isn’t only a statement toward their customers; it’s a statement directed internally and drives their culture to innovate from all angles: branding, product, and advertising.

Their athlete and celebrity partnerships, especially those partnerships that may be controversial, speak for themselves:

Nike doesn’t back down from the challenge, and neither should you.

This is the type of brand we all strive to create — one that empowers the customer and guides the company to operational prowess.

Mikayla Meek – Brand Manager

After much thought and consideration among all of my go-to brands, my favorite nerdy brand is Nintendo. 

As I’ve grown, the evolution of Nintendo has been exponential. Every Friday night during my childhood, my sister would plug in the ol’ Nintendo 64 and play different variations of Mario Party.

It is a time I’ll never forget because with my mom working primarily in the evenings, my sister would make my breakfast for dinner, my favorite, and host Mario Party Night in her bedroom with a movie to cap off the night. This is where my obsession began. 

For Christmas one year, my mom upgraded from the retired Nintendo 64 to the new and improved Wii. By the time I was about 10 years old, the first Nintendo DS came out, and I desperately wanted it. I was given one not long after it was released. There were many nights I would stay up well-past midnight playing the Simpsons game. 

Now, there is the Nintendo Switch. I always whip this beaut out when I am expecting a small get-together to reminisce about the Mario Party Nights I had with my sister. 

Like many other brands such as Marvel and Nike, Nintendo inevitably creates a nostalgic feeling that establishes brand loyalty. Based on my encounters with this brand, Nintendo executes how one brand can evolve over the years and the technology and quality gets better and better…like Apple. In a way, Nintendo as a brand has aged like a fine wine. 

Jonathan Payne is a branding and advertising specialist, leading as the Chief Experience Officer and Director of Accounts at NerdBrand. Jonathan brings to the table a decade of brand marketing experience helping establish a range of small businesses and national brands including Old Forester, Early Times, KORBEL, and University of Louisville.

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