The 67 in BRAND67

Did you wonder what it means? Well, that is the idea – because it certainly isn’t obvious. No. It’s not the year our founder Kent Land was born, but not far off. It is a number that has come to have special meaning and it’s a reminder of each persons unique filter that colors their world.

Here’s Kent’s story of the 67 in Brand67.

The number 67 became important to me when I picked up a red and white football jersey as a sophomore at Dexter High School. It was a left-over after the juniors and seniors made their choices, but I came to be proud of that number. I didn’t know it then, but it was immediately part of my brand – in those pictures of the team lined up on risers, in the local newspaper clippings, in the yearbook images and on that jersey that’s still in a special place in the back of my closet.

That’s probably enough to make 67 significant for me. Anyone who has ever selected a sports jersey can relate. And having that predisposition to my old football number is probably what creates the interesting connections that I experience daily.

If you’ve ever shopped for a new car, you’ve probably experienced this same odd but similar coincidence. Once you’ve narrowed down your search to a certain make and model, you begin to see that very car at virtually every other corner. Seems strange, you’ve never noticed that many before, but of course, there are no more of those cars than before, you just notice them more easily. You’ve altered your perception to recognize that make/model of car more easily and quickly, so it stands out.

67 is etched in my perception. It appears in little ways, like almost every phone number and license plate I’ve ever had – including my current cell number and my drivers license. It appears in expected ways, like weather maps, speedometers and sports stats. It appears in strange ways, like my raffle number at the bake sale or my winning exacta at Santa Anita. And it appears in profound ways like a few nights after my daughter was born prematurely.

She was in the Neonatal ICU where they would test her blood sugar level twice a day. Her blood sugar had been low and there was some real concern. Proper blood sugar levels should be above 50 and hers had been below 40 for the first few days. My wife and I were trying to stay positive and this evening there was a wonderful nurse, Sheila, who helped us feel that everything could change for the better and our daughter Lorelai would improve at any time.

When it was time to test the blood sugar level, my wife said, “I think it’s going to be much much higher. I’m sure of it!” Sheila replied, “Me too. What do think it will be?” My wife looked at me and I said, “67?”. And she said, “Yeah, 67! It’s going to be 67!”

Sheila pricked Lorelai’s tiny foot and squeezed a drop of blood on the tester. Lorelai cried. We waited. Lorelai cried.

A minute later (it felt like an hour), Sheila looked at the tester, and her head bobbed forward, like she had to look at it again. She looked up at us with big eyes, grinned and said, “It’s 67.”

We cried. And laughed. And cried some more. And finally took our baby girl home a few days later.

Brand67 is a name that has hidden meaning. It’s not descriptive, and it’s not as evocative as a name can be. But the curious nature of a special number can open the door to a wonderful story that can’t be forgotten. And that story, and thus that name, can change the perception of a brand every time it is seen or heard.


Kent Land is a marketing and communications strategist, creative director, social entrepreneur and musician who can be found at brand67.com. Read other marketing and creative articles at Brand67or you can email kent@brand67.com