Advertising campaigns that consistently use distinctive brand assets such as logos, jingles and mascots are significantly more effective at building brand recognition and long-term growth, according to new research published by System1 and Effie Worldwide.
The findings, detailed in a new book titled The Creative Dividend, are based on an analysis of campaigns across the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The study examined thousands of advertising executions to assess how creative choices influenced brand performance.
One of the central conclusions is that distinctive brand assets—often referred to as DBAs—play a crucial role in helping consumers quickly identify which brand an advertisement belongs to. Over time, these assets also help link different campaigns together in consumers’ minds, reinforcing mental associations with elements such as taglines, colors and sonic signatures.
Researchers found that consistency in using such assets was a key factor in improving results. Using System1’s five-star rating system, which measures an advertisement’s long-term growth potential, the study analyzed a sample of 56 brands and more than 4,000 creative assets. Brands that had used distinctive assets for only one year recorded an average rating of 2.4 stars. After four to five years of consistent use, the average rating rose to 3.5 stars, suggesting a cumulative effect over time.
Campaigns that incorporated distinctive assets also outperformed those that did not on several brand metrics. According to the analysis, campaigns featuring DBAs were three times more likely to increase brand distinctiveness and twice as likely to boost brand fame. They also showed stronger performance in driving awareness and perceived differentiation.
Another advantage identified in the research was what analysts described as advertising “fluency,” or the speed and accuracy with which viewers recognize a brand. Advertisements using distinctive brand assets achieved an average fluency rating of 86 percent, compared with 81 percent for celebrity-led campaigns and 79 percent for advertisements using neither celebrities nor distinctive assets. A similar pattern was observed in tests measuring rapid recognition within two seconds of viewing.
The authors argue that the findings challenge a tendency among marketers to frequently refresh or replace brand identifiers in pursuit of novelty. Instead, the data suggest that long-term consistency—rather than constant reinvention—may be one of the most reliable ways to build durable brand equity.
