Visual Reference Curation
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Sam Parr shares his process for creating the Hampton brand identity by collecting and curating visual references that inspired the final result.
Core Brand Vision
- Defined brand essence as "elite but cheeky"
- Inspired by Felix Dennis - combination of elite business success with conversational/silly personality
- Created comprehensive branding document outlining business details and visual inspiration
Visual Reference Collection
- Focused on 1970s era advertisements
- Key reference materials included:
- GQ ads
- Porsche ads
- Rolex "Men Who Built the World" campaign series
- Wall Street Journal ads ("Money talks, we translate")
- Color scheme centered on British Racing Green
- Inspired by luxury auto brands like Land Rover and Jaguar
- Became Hampton's signature color
Branding Agency Engagement
- Invested $15,000 in professional branding agency
- Provided agency with:
- Clear brand vision document
- Collection of inspirational ads
- Desired brand voice examples
- Color preferences and rationale
- Found hiring branding agency to be valuable "hack" for establishing identity
Key Learnings
- Visual references should align with brand positioning
- Historical ads can provide timeless branding inspiration
- Color choice should have meaningful connection to brand values
- Professional branding support worth the investment for establishing identity
- Clear documentation of vision helps guide agency output
Sam Parr
Host of MFM and fitness influencer
Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur and business media pioneer.
In 2016, he founded The Hustle, a business news media company that started in his kitchen with just $12 and grew to eight figures in revenue.
Sam led the charge in making newsletters popular when few believed in their potential.
After four successful years, he sold The Hustle to HubSpot, a publicly traded company. Now operating as HubSpot Media, The Hustle reaches 3 million readers daily, employs a team of nearly 100, and has been the launchpad for dozens of its staff to found their own media companies and newsletters.
Sam remains the host of the popular business podcast, My First Million, and continues to start and sell companies. He also co-founded Hampton, a highly vetted community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and teaches people to write better through his platform, Copy That.