BRANDED

Lucky, Seven, Abercrombie and Fitch… As I go through my closet those are just a few of the brands I see, and as I look down at my shoes I only see more. I love my clothes, my Nike shoes are my favorite, and I can’t help but indulge in an occasional Starbucks, but does this mean that I’m a brand junkie? At first glance you might think that I am but once you look around you’ll see that we all are.

The video promotion that we watched for Naomi Klein’s book, No Logo, was interesting and informational but will not make me think twice about what clothes, shoes or products that I buy. Klein’s book became one of the most influential books about the anti-globalization movement. She said that branding came about and was encouraged during the industrialization revolution as a way to bring about individuality. Now despite the purpose to bring about individuality it appears as though we are all the same. As a white American in my early 20’s I buy clothes that similar to those of my peers, but I do not look to society to decide what brands I buy. I buy what I like, what fits and what I can afford, and like most, that is often what is popular. Some would say I’m a sheep, but if you look around we all are. Look in your fridge… is there a label on it? What about your shirt, even if the name it isn’t branded on the front I’m sure it’s on the tag somewhere. Around the world people may be protesting brand based corporations but let’s face it, we are all victims to the branding and we can’t help it.

Brands are everywhere and when one disappears ten more are made. Everyone is trying to be the first, the only and the original but essentially we are all ending up the same. If I’m wearing a blue Abercrombie shirt and you’re wearing a blue Gap shirt isn’t it just a blue shirt that we’re wearing? What does the name really represent anyway? In Thomas Friedman’s video on YouTube titled The World is Flat he says that our American brands are a way to show status in just about every country. Other cultures like what we have to offer and they have joined us in our branded nation. But whether it is to show status or just personal style will it really matter if we all just stop being branded? Personally I don’t think so, brands are everywhere and people wear them for a variety of reasons. Whether we choose to drink Starbucks or not won’t really matter because whatever coffee it is that you end up drinking is just another brand in its early existence.