Definitely losing the definite article
Is he Batman or the Batman? However you answered, you’re right. When the superhero was introduced to the world in Detective Comics 27 in May of 1939, he was the Batman. But over the years, as his television, movie and literary credits show, he’s become known simply as Batman. So what happened to the “the?” As time went on and his legend grew, he really didn’t need it anymore. It seemed too cumbersome, too formal. The Batman was a mysterious figure. Batman was a friend.
Our agency is now 21 years old, and we’ve added a few tricks to our utility belt. As we’re launching our new brand identity, we’ve shed the definite article as well. From now on, we’d like you to refer to us simply as Creative Department, if you don’t mind. It may sound a little awkward at first, but we think you’ll get used to it pretty fast. Kind of a moot point anyway as we’ve already printed new business cards.
Keeping it simple
Our new tagline/mission/mantra is simple connections in a complex world. So we decided to take a look at ourselves. How do we connect? How does everyone else look at us?
It’s a bit ironic that our use of the definite article made our agency less definite. Many conversations I’ve had have gone like this:
New friend: “Where do you work?”
Me: “At the Creative Department.”
New friend: “The creative department of what company?”
Me: “No, no — the company is called the Creative Department. It’s an advertising agency.”
New friend: “Ohhh…”
So does dropping the “the” help? I think it does. It sounds more established. It sounds more confident. And those are two adjectives that describe us very well.
As we move forward, keep an eye on Creative Department. We’re making a lot of big changes that go deeper than chucking a three-letter word. And hey, if losing the “the” is good enough for the Caped Crusader, it’s good enough for us.
Note to self: check out Search & Replace function for website copy & fix home page to eliminate “The.”