Brand Name: NAYAH
Industry: Fashion (Afro-Urban Streetwear)
Target Audience: Gen Z Nigerians and diasporans (18 – 28) who care about self-expression, culture, and bold, meaningful fashion.
Project Type: Full Brand Messaging and Identity Development
Role: Brand Storyteller and Content Strategist
Project Duration: 4 weeks
The Problem
When NAYAH first reached out, they weren’t entirely sure what their brand stood for. They had great designs, an aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed, and loyal customers. But they didn’t have a clear voice.
No real brand story.
No messaging direction.
No clear identity.
What they wanted wasn’t just to sell clothes. They wanted something bigger: a brand where Afrofuturism meets street culture meets self-awareness but couldn’t translate that into something that would stick. Something that made young Africans feel seen.
That’s where I stepped in.
Project Goal
To craft a brand identity and messaging system that was:
- Deeply rooted in our rich African culture, yet globally appealing
- Story-rich and emotion-driven
- Sharp enough to unify the brand’s voice across platforms
- Fresh, youthful, and unapologetically African
My Process
This wasn’t just about giving them fancy copy or words on their website. I built a brand story system from scratch. One that could guide every visual, every post, every pitch. Here’s how:
- We started with the ‘WHY’ behind the brand
I held a brand clarity meeting with the founders where we talked about:
- Why they started (turns out ‘NAYAH’ is an acronym for their grandmother’s name)
- Their design inspirations (Afrobeats, Lagos street style, personal stories/memories, raw expressions)
- Their frustrations with brands trying to ‘westernize’ African fashion.
After all these, we finally discovered the core emotion and mission of NAYAH, which is to create ‘Liberation through identity.’
From there, the vision snapped into focus.
- Brand Story Development
I built a brand story rooted in a three-act structure:
Act 1: The Disconnect
African kids are constantly told to tone it down. To shrink. To blend in.
But what if the loudness is the identity?
Act 2: The Rebellion
NAYAH doesn’t design clothes. It reclaims them. Every design is rooted in something real, including street slangs, childhood scars, and generational strength.
Act 3: The Movement
This is for the kid who got called “too much.” For the ones who love to play dress up. The one who is unashamedly African.
- Brand Messaging Framework
We started with a:
Brand promise: This was to make self-expression and non-conformity feel normal through NAYAHdesigns.
Brand Personality: Bold, rebellious, artsy.
Voice & Tone: Raw, emotional, bold, carefree
Tagline Options: (Left to the founders to brainstorm)
Core Messages: (Left to the founders to brainstorm)
- Identity Elements
Brand Archetype: The Rebel + The Creator
I guided them to lean into their role as disruptors of normcore fashion and creators of cultural archives.
Visual Vocabulary Direction
- Textures that look worn but sacred (grunge + tribal)
- Muted earth tones with jolts of neon
- Typography that feels like street graffiti and poetry
(I wasn’t the designer, but I worked with their creative director to make sure the visuals aligned with the story.)
- Story-Driven Content Blueprint
To make sure this identity lived online, I delivered a content strategy infused with story beats:
Weekly Series Ideas:
- Customers or designers sharing what a piece means to them
- Spotlighting subcultures, Lagos youth, and expressive art
- Every product drop is told like a short story, with a narrative arc
Tone Guides for Platforms
- Instagram: Loud, bold, edgy, visual storytelling
- Twitter: Witty clapbacks, cultural commentary, behind-the-scenes
- Website: Creative, immersive, built to feel like you’re walking into a street corner art gallery in Yaba
The Result
NAYAH finally had a voice. One that didn’t sound like every other Gen Z fashion brand. They were loud, extremely bold but grounded. Emotional but playful. Proud but relatable.
Their relaunch campaign sold out 80% of their first collection in a week.
More importantly? People felt them.
Comments went from “this outfit goes crazy” to “This feels like something I’d love to be a part of”
Because that’s the whole point of brand storytelling.
Final Deliverables
- Brand Story Framework
- Messaging Bible
- Content Strategy Blueprint
- Brand Clarity Summary for internal team
Reflection
This wasn’t just a branding project. It was a resurrection. The reawakening of a brand simply because I made them discover their voice and what they stood for outside of profits. And that’s what I do best. I build brands that feel like people
If your brand is still trying to find the right words to match your vision, that’s where I come in.
Let’s build something meaningful together.
Reach out to me to see how stories can set your brand apart.
P.S – Curated for a fictional brand