Brands helped me travel Europe
by Jahan Joby
Exploring creativity, design, and storytelling through global icons.
Wherever you are in the world, spotting a familiar brand — maybe one of your clients, or even one you only know from a traffic jam ad — instantly creates a strange sense of connection between all these places....
These are some of the most famous and popular brands I had encountered in my trip to Europe
Cartier
We were walking through the city when something stood out among the already unbelievably beautiful surroundings: the Cartier ads! They were everywhere — the body of a tiger and their logo stretched across three or four different hoardings.
On the left side, the tiger’s body was split into parts, almost like a surreal art experiment, while on the right was the Cartier logo, divided in the same way — perfectly mirroring the tiger’s form. The design was simple yet bold: one side, the elegant tiger; the other, a clean white screen with the Cartier logo.
It looked refined, powerful, and strangely mesmerizing. Somehow, it managed to blend art, luxury, and mystery all at once. It wasn’t just an ad — it felt like Cartier had turned the entire street into their very own open-air art gallery.
The tiger wasn’t just decoration; it moved you. There was something about its gaze — calm, regal, confident — that made you stop mid-step, mid-conversation, mid-scroll. Even the locals seemed to slow down when they passed it, like a collective pause button in the middle of city chaos.
It reminded me that the best luxury branding doesn’t scream — it whispers. Cartier wasn’t selling jewellery; they were selling a feeling. Power, elegance, and timelessness, distilled into a single golden predator stretched across city walls.
It’s genius marketing disguised as art.
Mercedes-Benz Museum
The Mercedes-Benz Museum was absolutely incredible. To me, it felt like it was tucked away in a quiet corner of the city — though maybe that’s just my sense of direction talking! The building itself was striking, with an almost futuristic swirl that made it look smaller from the outside than it actually was.
Inside, it was pure paradise for car lovers — from the earliest prototypes to the latest high-speed monsters. Every floor had something jaw-dropping — and yes, there was even a Mercedes-Benz plane hanging from the ceiling! Each level felt like stepping into a different era of engineering genius.
What struck me most wasn’t just the cars themselves, but the timeline. You could literally walk through automotive history — starting from horse-drawn prototypes to sleek electric dreams. Every turn of the spiral felt like flipping through a living textbook, except this one roared and gleamed.
And the lighting? Chef’s kiss. The cars weren’t just displayed — they were staged. Every reflection, every shadow felt intentional. It was part museum, part cathedral. You almost whispered when you entered.
The souvenir shop was, of course, hilariously expensive — about ₹1 lakh for a working F1 Petronas model car. Still, worth admiring. 5/5 — no explanation needed, just pure existence. The museum captured everything Mercedes stands for: precision, legacy, and unapologetic brilliance.
Bonus
We even visited the place where the first car in the world once drove — believe it! On our last day in Europe, we met another Malayali who offered to show us the spot. It felt straight out of an anime ending scene — quiet, golden, and cinematic.
There was a small golden plaque on the ground marking the historic route, and nearby stood the original pharmacy where Bertha Benz bought ligroine, the first car fuel ever used. Standing there, you could almost imagine the rumble of that first engine.
It’s wild to think that the entire world of cars — from that first shaky ride to the F1 beasts of today — started there. On that simple stretch of road, powered by one woman’s stubborn belief in her husband’s invention.
The place had this humble yet powerful energy — a reminder that innovation often starts with courage and curiosity. 4/5, purely for the goosebumps and the legend it carries.
If history had a soundtrack, this place would play quiet violins and the soft purr of an engine starting for the very first time.
Airbnb
One of the most reliable apps we used during our entire trip. Whether it was Vienna, Dubai, or even back home in Kerala — it never failed us. Every stay matched the reviews (sometimes even better), and the comfort level was unbeatable.
We could rent anything — from a tiny cozy room to an entire home that looked like it belonged in a travel ad. The only thing that tested our patience was the sign-in process, which took approximately one full ice age.
One of our Airbnbs in Germany even had a record player and a wall of vinyls — we spent an evening listening to jazz and pretending to be in a French film. In Vienna, our host had left handwritten city tips on vintage postcards. These small gestures made every stay feel personal, like someone had curated the trip just for us.
Still, 4.5/5 — a must-have travel companion. It’s like having a digital best friend who occasionally forgets your password.
Sennelier
A history in colour! That’s honestly the best way to describe it. It’s a dream store for any artist, alive or otherwise — and walking in feels like stepping into a time capsule filled with pigments and passion.
As I write this, the pencils I bought there are still sitting on my desk, waiting for me to bring them to life. The store had this timeless, antique charm that stood out from the flashy modern vibe outside.
Every brush, every tube of paint seemed to whisper stories — of artists who came before, who mixed these same colours and painted worlds onto blank canvases. The owner spoke softly, like someone who understood that art supplies are sacred objects.
Copics? Check. G-pen nibs? Check. Rare Faber-Castell fineliners? Of course. They had everything an artist could imagine — and then some. The smell of paint and paper, the muted lighting, the shelves packed with art supplies… everything screamed legacy.
Honestly, my rating? Beyond 5 stars.
Sorry — limits don’t apply here.
Dior
Now, this was one brand I didn’t have much interest in at first. Their ads felt very feminine, though undeniably classy — and that logo? A masterpiece in itself.
Here’s what happened: I was sitting in the back of an Uber, stuck in heavy traffic, when I spotted a Dior ad on one of those sleek circular street displays.
Something about it just clicked. Maybe it was the symmetry, maybe the font — but it caught me completely off guard.
It wasn’t loud, flashy, or desperate for attention — it was quiet confidence in typography form. 3/5, purely for that clean, graceful aesthetic. Dior knows how to make simplicity feel luxurious.
That’s the secret sauce of Dior: they don’t chase trends — they set them, quietly.
JCDecaux and Wall GmbH
This is a brand I know both directly and indirectly!
Ever seen those cylindrical ads that are super popular in places like Germany or Karlsruhe? These are the companies — JCDecaux and Wall GmbH — that run, maintain, and update the posters inside those cylinders. They’re the quiet heroes behind the city’s rotating ad columns — part art, part engineering marvel.
These ad displays are insanely creative! They look far better than the usual giant hoardings we see back in Kerala — sleek, compact, and perfectly designed for urban spaces. There’s something oddly satisfying about watching one rotate and reveal a new ad in smooth motion. It’s marketing with rhythm, architecture, and precision.
What impressed me most was how subtle yet omnipresent they were. No clutter, no chaos — just clean, rotating beauty. It made me wonder if we’ll ever get something like that back home — elegant advertising that respects both brand and viewer. And that’s the thing about Europe — even its ads are designed like art installations. Every street corner has a story, every poster a personality.
Rating: 4.3/5 — for pure creativity, innovation, and the guts to make something as ordinary as advertising look unexpectedly cool.
Uber
This was another one of those super amazing apps — like, I'm talking straight-out amazing, jumping out of everyone’s dreams!
Wherever we were, we could get a taxi to anywhere we wanted! The only problem was that the trips were a tad bit expensive. Still, its availability was amazing! In every part of the world we’ve been to, Uber was always easily the most useful app, other than things like WhatsApp and the phone-calling app.
Rating: 4.3/5 — the only reason it got that much of a low rating was because of the annoyingly long waiting time.
