27th August 2026

Sadly, this week the world lost two amazing creative icons, Dolly Parton and Yayoi Kusama.

On the surface, they could hardly be more different. One a global music legend, songwriter, performer, philanthropist and entrepreneur from the mountains of Tennessee, USA. The other, one of the world’s most recognisable contemporary artists, known for her pumpkins, polka dots, immersive infinity rooms and sculptures, from the castle city of Matsumoto in Japan.

But what connects these very different icons is original thought, creative courage and the power of a distinctive brand and identity.

Both of these incredible women broke the mould at a time when women were rarely the ones defining what was next. They both did this, often through adversity, with bravery and vision. And they did it by being unmistakably themselves and with creative belief.

Don’t follow the crowd.

Dolly’s genius wasn’t simply that she was a brilliant singer and songwriter. She created her own world and brand. The hair, the rhinestones, the voice, the humour, the warmth and self-deprecation. Everything was recognisably Dolly. What could have been a gimmick was delivered in such a powerful way and with such belief that it became so recognisable and enduring. And she never stood still. She evolved her brand without losing the essence of what made her Dolly to the core.

Yayoi Kusama took a very different path, but the principles are remarkably similar. She had many demons to deal with in her life, but she developed a visual language that became almost impossible to mistake for anyone else: original and distinct. The dots, the repetition, the pumpkins and the scale of the work. Creative ideas that began as deeply personal expressions became a global creative universe. She didn’t just create art; she created her own world of art and her own distinct brand. You know a work of Yayoi before you see the title or her name.

Original creative thinking is more than being different.

In business and marketing, we talk a lot about differentiation. But being different isn’t necessarily being distinctive. Original thought starts somewhere deeper, and it’s human. It’s having a belief, it’s having a vision, it’s having a point of view. Seeing things others don’t see, connecting things in a new way. Having the confidence and being brave enough to pursue an idea that might feel uncomfortable, unfamiliar or even strange.

The temptation for brands, especially now, is not to seek original thought and instead to follow the herd and look sideways. But if you only look sideways, you will look and be like everyone else. The most powerful brands often start somewhere else entirely and are brave.

What is particularly inspiring about Dolly and Yayoi is that neither of them tried to make themselves more acceptable by becoming less distinctive. They followed their creative instinct and didn’t push against what made them different, and that takes courage. The difference became the identity, and the identity became their brand. At the time, they were doing something remarkable and didn’t even realise the global brands they were building. They stuck to being authentic and both, for different reasons, became iconic.

Why this matters even more in the age of AI

We are in a world where AI can generate an endless number of images, vast amounts of content and variations in seconds. The ability to produce things, especially at speed, is becoming abundant. But what is becoming increasingly scarce is an original idea worth producing.

AI can help us research, drive insights, explore, accelerate and execute, but with everyone having access to similar tools, the competitive advantage isn’t simply who can produce the most. It’s that original creative thought and idea. The courage to make a distinctive, stand-out, clever and creative choice.

At Silver, we believe that great marketing starts with original creative thought and strong belief.

An original idea that can change how people see a business, create belief in a proposition and give a brand something genuinely distinctive to own.

Great brands aren’t static; they evolve. They stay relevant but don’t follow trends. They respond to changing audiences, technologies and culture. They find new ways to express themselves. Underneath that evolution, there needs to be something authentic and enduring: a belief, a point of view, an original idea.

Dolly Parton and Yayoi Kusama came from completely different worlds, faced different challenges and created very different art forms. Yet they both understood something elemental: be authentic, build something that is uniquely yours, and have the courage and drive to make it impossible to ignore.

We celebrate you, Dolly and Yayoi, and may you rest in peace. We know that your legacy will inspire original creative thinking and creative bravery for many generations to come!