In a sea of sameness it is suddenly becoming cool to stick out; blame it on the revolution of the nerd (you’ve seen the “talk nerdy to me” t-shirt, right? hilarious) or the realization that blending in is synonymous with fading away. Either way, companies are trading in their safe (boring) brand identites for one with swagger.

Altoids. Quirky before quirky was cool.

For years, Altoids has held on to their iconic tin packaging and a quirky brand identity. Their ads are a mix of throw-back images and double entendres.

This strategy turned the mint into a fad and allowed the brand to develop a devout group of followers. Thee 200 year product is cool, thanks to some well-placed images and an irreverent attitude.

Geico. Capitalize on your 15 minutes.

Geico took their 15 minutes and turned it into a multi-billion dollar company. Their characters quickly gain momentum and get everyone talking about the company, and then fade into the archives (with the exception of the Gecko). Classics, like the Cavemen, are now mainstays of our social culture while the rarely does a Wednesday pass without someone posing the “Guess what day it is” question.

Kulula Airlines. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Kulula Airlines is a discount flight provider in South Africa whose edgy personality permeates everything from their paint schemes to their in-air announcements.

This airline has taken a stoic, stressful and often frustrating necessity and turned it into a fun and interesting venture.

Find inspiration in these companies that have used swagger, quirk and all things in between to inject some personality into the otherwise boring worlds of freshening breath, vehicle insurance and business travel.