Safe is good. It’s predictable, has been proven, and is easily replicable… It’s just safe.
It’s the easiest brand decision you’ll ever make. But it may be the worst decision.
Because while you’re making sure no one is offended, surprised, or confused, someone else is building what people will actually remember. Not necessarily because it’s louder or edgier but because it makes a different statement and stands on it.
That’s the real power of brand tension.
It’s not just about being different or rebellious for the sake of it, nor is it about being loud or shocking just to grab attention. But choosing to stand in contrast with norms or some widely accepted default that your audience is used to… in a way that actually matters.
Tension is what turns a product into a message and separates one brand from the other. It’s why people say, “That’s the one that gets me.”
Tension doesn't always equal Rebellion
As earlier mentioned, tension isn’t always controversial.
How about brands like Liquid Death? Sure, it’s extremely bold, gory, outrageous, and incredibly genius for the audience it was made for.
But brand tension shows up in a thousand different ways. It can be calm but uncompromising, soft-spoken but powerfully opinionated, and elegant but unapologetic. It can be funny, weird, minimal, quirky, plainspoken, disruptive… all depending on who they’re talking to and what they’re standing for or against.
What they all have in common is they’ve made a clear choice about what they are, what they’re not, and the unique value they provide.
Something about the brand says, “We’re not like that. We’re this.” And that contrast is what attracts the right people.
Real Tension is Rooted in Relevance
Tension feels risky. “If we narrow too much, we lose opportunities.” “If we sound too strong, we might turn people off.” But that fear leads to genericity.
With tension, your brand says something real, something your audience hasn’t heard out loud before, and this earns trust.
It gets even deeper. Brand tension isn’t just creative communication.
It comes from knowing:
Who you're speaking to
What they care deeply about
What frustrates them
What they're tired of being sold
What they wish someone would finally say out loud
It’s built from empathy and insight. From a healthy obsession with your audience. So yes, not every brand needs to be edgy. But every brand needs to be distinct.
Real-World Brands Using Tension to Their Advantage
The Outlandish: Oatly
Oatly took oat milk, a relatively quiet, utilitarian product, and turned it into a loud, irreverent movement. Their packaging says things like “It’s like milk, but made for humans.” They once ran a Super Bowl ad singing off-key with a keyboard in a field.
They challenged the dairy industry head-on. Some people hate them for it, while others swear by them. That’s brand tension at work.
Sales skyrocketed. They IPO’d. And oat milk became a cultural statement.
The Calm Contrast: Patagonia
Patagonia didn’t set out to be edgy. They chose to be honest and stood against hyper-consumption. They once ran an ad that said, “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” This was a real challenge to the mindset that more is better. They encouraged people to buy less, repair more, and take responsibility for the impact their clothes make on the planet.
Patagonia didn’t chase attention. They stood for something and stuck with it. That’s brand tension rooted in conviction, not controversy.
And the result? A fiercely loyal community, massive brand equity, and a clear signal to the people who matter: we’re not for everyone, we’re for you.
Tension is a signal. It tells your audience, “We see the problem the way you do. And here’s our stance.”
That stance doesn’t have to be polarizing. But it has to be clear. If your brand tries to please everyone, it becomes a blur. But when you embrace the right tension, one that matters to your audience, you earn something much more valuable than reach.
You earn resonance.
