Everyone remembers their first real “brand crush.”
Not the logo, not the ad—but the moment you realized, “I could stick with this for years.” Maybe it was the first computer that made you feel powerful, like the iMac that turned tech into art. Or the app that finally “got” how you think, anticipating your next move. Perhaps the community token that rewarded you before anyone else believed in decentralized ownership—think early NFT drops or DAO airdrops that felt like being in on the ground floor
That feeling is not just satisfaction. It’s love.
In branding, love is the point where utility ends and emotional attachment begins. Coined as “lovemarks” by Kevin Roberts, it’s when people stop seeing a product as a tool and start seeing it as part of their story—infused with mystery, sensuality, and intimacy.
They recommend it without being asked.
They defend it in comments against critics.
They follow every update, not because they need to—but because they care deeply, like fans tracking a favorite creator’s roadmap.
That’s the territory of lovemarks: brands that go beyond preference into genuine emotional connection, creating loyalty that withstands competition.
How do you build that in a world of infinite choice, constant launches, and short attention spans—especially in tech, startups, Web3, and AI? A few patterns keep repeating across successful cases.
* Consistency over hype. Lovemarks keep their promise through cycles, markets, and pivots. They don’t disappear in bear markets or after funding rounds—Apple stays iconic through decades, Patagonia builds rituals via consistent quality .
* Clarity of belief. They stand for something bigger than a feature set: ownership in Web3 (like shared governance in DAOs), access in AI (democratizing tools), play in gaming tokens, fairness in ethical tech, creativity in generative AI. Every interaction reinforces it, turning users into believers .
* Participation, not just promotion.
Love is also built in the small, unglamorous moments that compound over time:
The support ticket handled with empathy, not automation—human touch in AI-driven service. The transparent update when something breaks, like a Web3 project postmortem shared openly. The airdrop or reward that feels thoughtful rather than transactional, tied to user milestones. Every touchpoint either deposits or withdraws from the emotional bank account you have with your audience. Over time, those deposits compound into something very hard to displace, driving advocacy and retention.
While big brands like Nike (.Swoosh) and Starbucks (Odyssey) tried NFT loyalty programs, most faded without sustained community value. Native Web3 projects show the real path forward.
For Web3 and AI brands, integrate these with tech-native tactics: Use onchain proofs for transparency, AI-personalized experiences for intimacy, community quests for participation. Poolsuite's Executive Club and Seed Club's DAO networks prove how ongoing token-gated experiences create lasting emotional ties—exclusive events, co-creation tools, and evolving perks that keep communities thriving years later.
If you work in branding or tech, here’s a useful question for your next strategy session:
Are you optimizing for clicks and short-term metrics—or are you deliberately designing for long-term attachment?
Because features will be copied (open-source AI models proliferate), markets will change (crypto winters pass), and algorithms will move on (social feeds evolve).
But the brands that people truly love—the ones they carry from device to device, wallet to wallet, job to job—are the ones that choose, every day, to build a relationship instead of just a funnel. In 2025, with AI scaling content and Web3 enabling ownership, lovemarks will dominate by prioritizing emotional equity.
That first "brand crush" moment?
Chase it. Engineer it.
Because when people fall in love with your brand, they never want to let go.
Kevin Roberts shows how “lovemarks” go beyond traditional brands by building deep emotional connections rooted in love, mystery, and respect. In a world obsessed with transactions, lovemarks create lasting loyalty by making people feel truly seen and valued. They’re the future of branding that actually sticks
Charms is the result of a focused design sprint led by FLOC*, developing a brand strategy, visual identity, and narrative that blends AI, emotion, and play into a warm, modular Web3 gaming universe. This project demonstrates how human-centric design can bring agentic onchain games to life and foster meaningful player connections.
Great design thrives on love for the key detail—that subtle organizing element unlocking the entire composition. Christopher Butler shows how top design leaders stay obsessed with craft, ensuring every pixel serves purpose while directing big-picture strategy. This detail devotion creates purposeful, coherent work that truly connects.
Written and designed by @esdotge
1 comment
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