Shake, shake, shake: Taylor Swift’s masterclass in rebranding
Taylor Swift is not only a singer, songwriter, and GRAMMY Award-winning artist; she’s also a storyteller, marketer, branding and rebranding genius.
Throughout her career, Taylor Swift has demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt her branding to reflect her artistic evolution while staying true to her core values and connection.
Swift has used storytelling, marketing, and rebranding to provide her fans with a deeper sense of connection and excitement in her brand, such that they never tire of her new music because the same is constantly evolving though the creation of distinct brand identities. The unpredictable reinvention of her brand identity in each era has generated loyalty from existing ‘Swifties’ and has captivated new audiences. Her fan base is continually growing, which is a testament to not only her singing, songwriting and performing, but also the power in her storytelling, marketing, and rebranding.
Considering the time, effort and resources Swift dedicates to developing and promoting her brands, it is unsurprising that she is vigilant in protecting her trade mark rights to ensure the same are safeguarded.
With each album release, Swift has meticulously shaped her very own ‘eras’, turning each album into distinct brands with their own characteristics, aesthetics and styles which reflect the themes of each period:
The Debut Era (2006): Swift’s debut country album, written while she was in high school, was simply titled Taylor Swift. Swift’s youthfulness and simplicity were mirrored by her flowy dresses, compact curls, and cowboy boots, displaying her country roots.
The Fearless Era (2008 – 2009): Fearless marked Swift’s transition from country to pop-infused country. This era was symbolised by romantic stories, playful imagery, and vintage fairytale aesthetics. Swift’s girl-next-door charm and relatable lyrics captivated a young audience.
The Speak Now Era (2010 – 2011): Speak Now saw Swift take full creative control. The Speak Now era showcased her growth as a songwriter and performer through storytelling, honesty, and personal expression. Reflecting the album’s themes of love and resilience and Swift’s growth as an artist, Speak Now was characterised by an elegant, mature and sophisticated aesthetic, embracing classic silhouettes with modern twists.
The Red Era (2012 – 2014): Red marked Swift’s transition into pop music. This was defined by bold lyrics and energetic imagery. Swift adopted the colour red as a symbol of love, heartbreak and passion. During the Red era, Swift unsurprisingly adorned herself with red clothing accompanied with bold embellishments and accessories. The passion of the Red era was reflected in Swift’s dramatic makeup looks and edgy statement pieces.
The 1989 Era (2014 – 2016): 1989 was Swift’s era to fully land in pop music and shed her country roots. Inspired by ’80s pop, a theme which Swift reflected in her striking fashion choices and retro aesthetics: crop tops, bright colours, bold prints, high-waisted shorts, bold lipstick, and winged eyeliner.
The Reputation Era (2017-2018): Reputation revealed Swift’s dark and mysterious persona, marking a departure from her previous bright and playful images. Swift was clear in communicating this drastic change to her listeners, declaring: “the old Taylor is dead” in the song Look What You Made Me Do. Here the message was about reclaiming the narrative and addressing controversies. Keeping consistent with her previous style choices to reflect the current era, Reputation saw Swift in dramatic, rebellious, and edgy clothing, featuring leather, studs and accompanied with smoky eyes and dark lipstick.
Lover (2019-2020): Lover saw Swift circle back to her roots with a soft, romantic sound, to celebrate love in all its forms. The positive themes of the Lover era were reflected with pastel colours, whimsical aesthetics, and playful imagery. Swift reverted back to a more delicate style, with vintage looks, loose curls, natural makeup, and soft accessories.
Folklore and Evermore (2020-2021): ‘Swifties’ were overjoyed with two surprise albums, Folklore and Evermore, released during the COVID-19 pandemic. This era shares parallels with the rest of the world during this time, characterised by introspection and nature. Swift reflected these themes through casual, understated, and effortless looks with earthy tones.
Midnights (2022 – 2024): As Swift’s career reaches unsurmountable heights – becoming the first and only woman solo artist to win the GRAMMY Award for Album of The Year three times – to the delight of her fan base, she leans back into her forte of immensely personal lyrics. The Midnights era is the spark at the beginning of the Eras tour, which sees Swifties dressed as their favourite ‘Era’: with Lover fans in pastels; Fearless fans in sequins; and Evermore fans in flannel shirts.
The Tortured Poets Department (2024 – present): It will be interesting to see how Swift promotes her latest era which has taken a darker turn, touching on themes such as grief and heartbreak. Already ‘The Black Dog’ pub in Vauxhall has experienced a surge in popularity as Swifties visit, convinced that it is the pub in the song of the same name. Currently the strength of Swift’s brand is so strong, it has a positive impact on other brands by association.
How does Taylor Swift use IP?
Swift’s continual and unwavering brand evolution has no doubt played a huge part in her unprecedented success in captivating audiences worldwide. Swift has not only shown the importance of rebranding to stay relevant, but also the importance of ensuring the heart of the brand remains authentic, original, and true to its core values. The ability to adapt is crucial to the success of any brand.
Swift owns a myriad of trade mark registrations for brands associated with the different eras, including, inter alia: TAYLOR SWIFT; FEARLESS; SPEAK NOW; RED TAYLOR’S VERSION; 1989; REPUTATION; LOVER; FOLKLORE; TAYLOR SWIFT EVERMORE ALBUM; and MIDNIGHTS. An application for THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT mark has been filed at The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
In addition, Swift has sought to protect local language versions of her brands in China which illustrates Swift’s proactive protection strategy. Such trade mark registrations enable Swift to take necessary action to ensure the integrity and repute of her brands are not unduly attacked, unfairly taken advantage of, tarnished, confused, or diluted.
Many successful musicians and brands in all areas struggle to reinvent while maintaining their unique authentic qualities, which often results in decreasing success or popularity. Audiences and consumers are easy to please, but difficult to maintain. They seek the same qualities which ignite the feelings and emotions felt when listening to the musician’s first album or when first engaging with a brand, time and time again, without becoming bored by monotony.
To an outsider Taylor Swift’s ownership and command of her brand identity might appear effortless. But we would argue, like a perfect pop song’s unforgettable melody, her branding is highly distinctive, her IP is well-structured, robust, and has global reach.
Even if it’s not on the same scale as Taylor Swift’s global reach, protecting the IP related to any business, product or idea is a crucial step in securing its success and keeping it unique.
If you would like to continue the conversation, please contact the author or your usual Barker Brettell trade mark attorney.
This article was originally commissioned and published on the CITMA.org.uk website.
