An Easter Egg for a really Good Friday

The best brands reward curiosity. Like Easter eggs in design, small moments of discovery make people feel part of the story.

Hello,

A few days ago, I found myself explaining to a client why using surprise and delight in branding matters (it was one of those logos that use negative space). Make something too obvious and it gets forgotten. Hide it too much and it never lands. The magic is in the middle, where discovery feels like a reward.

Perhaps because it is Easter weekend, it made me think about Easter eggs, not the chocolate kind, but the hidden surprises designers sneak into things.

Plenty of video games and websites have them. It actually started back in 1980, when a developer hid his name inside the Atari game ‘Adventure’, because Atari refused to credit its designers. Players who found it felt like they had uncovered a secret.

You can still see that spirit today. A famous example: type "do a barrel roll" into Google Search.

Easter eggs work because they tap into the psychology of recall, the idea that when we feel rewarded for noticing something, we remember it better.

And that is why things like the FedEx logo are so loved. We all know that between the E and the x is a forward-pointing arrow. You might not have seen it straight away, but once you did, it is impossible to unsee.

Surprise and delight create a feeling of involvement, not just observation. They invite people to feel part of the story, rather than simply watching from the outside.

The best branding often leaves space for discovery. It trusts the audience to be curious and rewards them when they are.

Every small detail you create is a chance for your customers to discover something memorable. Are you giving them those moments?

Really enjoy your Quick Pint