Bread is the foundation. It’s what keeps a brand anchored - the value proposition purpose, values, and key visual assets that remain constant. Take India Gate Basmati Rice. Its heritage, trust, and commitment to quality are the “bread” that holds the brand together, whether it’s being experienced in a traditional retail store or on a digital recipe platform. As the brand evolved for modern consumers, the “bread” ensured familiarity while paving the way for growth.
Butter is the adaptable layer. It spreads with ease, allowing a brand to shift tone, color, or messaging depending on the context. For R3set, a wellness brand by Venus Remedies, butter showed up in how the brand modulated the language and visual system to resonate with health-focused millennials - balancing credibility with accessibility. From clinical touchpoints to social media storytelling, Reset flexes to meet consumers where they are and breaks the mould of the health and wellness category without losing its core, scientific essence.
Jam is the expressive layer - the flair that grabs attention, creates emotional connection, and keeps the brand culturally relevant. Coke and KitKat excel here, constantly delivering fresh campaigns that tap into festivals, memes, or youth culture - adding “jam” that makes the brand stick in people’s minds, without compromising consistency.
Crucially, Bread, Butter, Jam aren’t choices - they’re ingredients of a complete brand system. Even for an institution like ISB, the brand could remain grounded in academic excellence (bread), adapt messaging for corporate and global audiences (butter), and find moments of inspiration or storytelling that spark emotional connection (jam).
In the case of India Gate, butter is the modernized packaging and adaptable tone that connects with diverse, contemporary consumers, while jam is the emotive storytelling, seasonal editions, and culinary partnerships that add cultural flair and emotional resonance.
Elastic brands understand how to balance these layers. They know when to stay steady, when to flex, and when to surprise. In doing so, they stay relevant, recognizable, and resilient built not just to exist, but to thrive in an ever-changing world.
