Why weird works: How Jessica Walsh is breaking down bland

Jessica Walsh, celebrated for her unapologetically bold approach at &Walsh, has long believed that a brand’s quirks are its greatest strengths. Through a process she calls “brand therapy”, Jessica helps her clients uncover the “weird” that sets them apart. “We believe every brand has something weird or different about them, and that’s their most valuable asset,” she tells It’s Nice That, adding that she encourages each brand to “discover who they are and develop our work around that.”

For Jessica, creating a strong brand identity is essential in a saturated market. Today, she’s partnering with Air – a creative operations solution for collecting, sharing, and approving content – to launch a manifesto for designers. Her approach addresses the growing trend of “blanding”: a wave of start-ups emulating one another until no one stands out. “Everyone wanted to look like Casper and Warby Parker, then Studs and Starface,” Jessica says. “The result is that all these [direct-to-consumer] brands don’t have their own unique identities. You can’t tell them apart, and people are tired of the sameness and craving something new.”

As Jessica explains, there’s significant risk in being bland. “When you try to please everyone, you wind up with a ‘vanilla’ brand that says nothing. No one hates those brands, but no one truly loves them either,” she says. “The most successful brands stand for who they are – unapologetically.” Staying true to a brand’s unique style and voice, rather than following trends, is what Jessica believes will make a brand memorable. “A great brand is like a great person, true and honest about who they are, unafraid to show their true colours,” she said. By spending time upfront to understand a brand’s core qualities, Jessica and her team create brands that don’t just look good but also stay relevant and authentic over time.

Air’s collaboration with Walsh aligns her brand philosophy with creative operations. Reflecting on her experience scaling her own studio, she emphasises that streamlined systems are essential for creative work to thrive. “Over the years, I’ve learned that I can’t do it all. At a certain scale, I had to delegate,” Walsh shares, noting that having efficient systems made a huge difference in her office’s culture and output.

Going forward, Walsh’s advice for young creatives is clear: “do the work to unearth what makes a brand truly unique, the payoff is always worth it.” Through “brand therapy”, Jessica and team discovered the “weird” of their client Plenty, an indoor vertical farming company: its focus on craveable taste rather than environmental benefits. This inspired a brand direction that spotlighted deliciousness, with vibrant packaging that stands out on shelves, a choice that helped Plenty carve a distinct place in the market.

For Jessica, creating something memorable is about embracing the idiosyncrasies that make a brand stand out. Through this manifesto with Air, she’s showing creatives how “finding your weird” can unlock their fullest potential.