Organic Appeal: Greenery on Bengaluru Airport | Photocredit: Shivendu Jauhari
Is it possible that the modest fruit in the Apple logo is part of what makes its customers the most loyal in the world? Can the lush gardens and the open green spaces on the New Bengaluru Airport do more than decorate the terminal – perhaps the relief of stress and feeling flyers relaxed long before taking off? Would Jaguar’s new identity with forms inspired by nature to signal a fully electric brand, instead of the controversial minimalist design, have led to more positive online buzz? No matter how surprising it sounds, the answers are in the human instinct to make contact with nature – an instinct brands are increasingly ticking, consciously or otherwise. As sustainability is central and consumers search deeper, the greater demand is a greater demand for both marketers and CMOs: can connecting with nature can be a strategic advantage for brands?
Why nature works
Our research over the years, in -terms of service environments (Service Capes) and visual brand identities, believes that nature -based design elements improve brand experiences and positive customer perceptions.
Brands are no longer only built through products or advertisements. They are sculpted by compelling experiences and visual signals. Published in our work in the Journal of Services Marketing And Journal of Brand ManagementWe have investigated how service papes and visual identities can infuse biophilic principles to increase the involvement of consumers and the brand image. Our arguments are based on attention recovery and mood repair theories, supported by empirical evidence in a series of experiments. This oeuvre suggests that biophile designs function as a cognitive and emotional catalyst that can increase the brand image and experience.
Biophilia in action
Take Amazon for example. The Seattle headquarters, the bulbs, is filled with more than 40,000 plants that serve more than just an architectural miracle. It creates a working environment that reduces the burnout of employees and promotes creativity. Google has also embraced the biophile design in its worldwide offices with natural lighting, green walls and water features, which contributes to the satisfaction and productivity of employees.
Retail brands such as Ikea and Hospitality Brands have long invested in natural textures, covered green and organic layout flows that feel intuitive and calming. Such choices are strategic tools that build up customer reliefs and stickiness.
The logo of Apple – a minimalist, organic form of a bitten apple – is in contrast to the more geometric or abstract logos of its rivals | Photocredit: Philldanze
Airports around the world have started to understand this. Changi Airport in Singapore – consistently arranged under the best in the world – offers green inner gardens, waterfalls and butterfly shrines. The new Terminal 2 at the international airport of Kempegowda of Bengaluru follows the example with extensive inner gardens, natural lighting and open spaces.
These environments do more than entertainable; They calm down, enjoy and press a positive brand association with the airport, and even the country that represents it. The implication is clear to service marketers: biophile service capes are no longer a luxury but a lever for customer preference.
Biomorphism
Visual identity is a different domain where biophile design plays a subtle but powerful role. The logo of Apple – a minimalist, organic form of a bitten apple – is in contrast to the more geometric or abstract logos of Samsung or Google. Our research suggests that such biomorphous forms – which mimic forms and nature patterns – can evoke familiarity and warmth, help memorability and emotional connection. Indian brands are starting to recognize this. Companies such as Fabindia, Forest Essentials and Nicobar include natural motifs and vegetable stories in their branding, whereby tradition coordinates with modern sustainability.
Biomorphism – not the same as biophilia – is based on the subconscious preference for curved lines, natural symmetry and forms that they are reminiscent of leaves, waves or living beings. Even when the actual nature is absent, simulating the essence can shape a powerful brand experience.
Biophile design
In a world saturated with screens and stress, nature quietly makes a comeback. While we immerse ourselves in the convenience and benefits of the digital world, technostress and fear have emerged as great worries. Ironically, as people are increasingly disconnected from nature, companies such as Amazon, Apple and Facebook – who have partially fueled this disconnection – take on more natural elements in their brand marketing.
The implication is clear to CMOs, brand managers and experience designers: biophilia is not only an architectural or design choice – it is a necessary brand. Our research indicates that brands that root themselves in nature can grow stronger emotional bindings, improve memorability and yield more human experiences.
(The writers are faculty members of the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode)
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Published on June 15, 2025
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