The Role of Custom Illustration in Modern Marketing

In a world where everyone has access to the same stock image libraries, the same Canva templates and increasingly the same AI generated visuals, standing out has never been more important or more difficult. Custom illustration is one of the most powerful tools a brand can use to cut through the noise. And yet it remains one of the most underused.

Let's get into it!

Illustration is not one thing. It is not a single aesthetic or a specific look. It is a whole spectrum of styles, approaches and outcomes and the best illustration work is the kind that is tailored entirely to the brand it is made for.

As a designer and illustrator, my own personal style leans into the hand drawn, the sketchy, the beautifully imperfect. I like that you can see the humanity in it. But when I am illustrating for a client that style shifts to serve them. The story they want to tell is different from mine so the illustration has to represent them in the right way. The end product and the idea behind it always has to work with the illustration, not against it.

One of the most common misconceptions about illustration is that it only works for certain types of brands. The playful ones, the creative ones, the ones that are already a bit different. And while it is true that illustration tends to shine brightest in brands that want warmth and personality, it is far more versatile than most people realise.

Illustration can be a full statement piece. A character, a scene, a poster that stops people in their tracks. Or it can be quietly powerful. A set of small custom icons, a brand pattern, a tiny detail on a menu or a package that makes someone smile when they notice it. The scope can be as big or as small as the brand needs.

Most of the illustration briefs I have worked on have come from businesses that wanted something playful and distinctive. But the moment people see how illustration could work within their brand, usually when I add illustrated elements into a moodboard, something clicks. The reaction is almost always the same. Oh. Actually. Yes.

If I had to choose a favourite illustration project it would be the assets I created for Nova Coffee. Fun, playful, full of personality and designed to live everywhere. On posters, on menus, on merch if they ever wanted to go there. That versatility is what makes a really good set of brand illustrations so valuable. You create them once and they work across everything, giving the brand a visual language that is entirely its own.

The mini me in the corner

There is something I do in my own brand that I think says a lot about what illustration can do for a business. Instead of putting my own face in my designs, because honestly I do not always want to be the focal point, I have a little illustrated character. A mini me. She has pink hair rather than my current purple, but I like that she is an alternate version of me rather than a direct copy.

It started partly because I grew up watching Lizzie McGuire and was completely captivated by her little animated self popping up in the corner to say what she was actually thinking. That idea of having an illustrated version of yourself that represents you without being you stuck with me. And it is a genuinely brilliant way for any personal brand to add character and warmth without it feeling like a constant selfie.

Illustration in brand design right now

Illustration has always had a place in brand design. It has never really gone away. But I do think people are waking up to it more consciously right now, partly as a reaction to how samey everything is starting to look.

One of my favourite examples of illustration done brilliantly is the Penguin Books refresh. The way they have given the penguin and his world so much life and warmth, a whole family and cast of characters, is phenomenal. It takes something already beloved and makes it feel fresh and full of personality without losing any of the heritage. The illustrator did a phenomenal job and it is a masterclass in how illustration can elevate a brand rather than just decorate it. https://www.instagram.com/mattblease/

Illustration does not have to be expensive. It depends entirely on the scope and the outcome. A small set of icons is a very different investment to a full illustrated character or brand world. I have packages that include illustration as part of a wider brand identity and for standalone illustration work I will always guide you on what is realistic and what will give you the most value for your budget.

If you have ever looked at a brand and thought I wish mine felt like that, it might be worth having a conversation. You might be closer to it than you think. 🫶