Welcome to Logo Land

If you were gonna ask me what brands represent my life I would undoubtedly list my top three as Gap, Apple, and Toyota. I am a loyal customer of all three brands until the bitter end. I follow them more closely than any religion. These brands represent so much to me. They represent the image I want to project to other people. Gap stands for classic fashions and reasonable prices (but not cheap quality). Apple symbolizes innovation, youth, hip-ness, and expensive products. Toyota epitomizes quality, good MPG, and a leader in the hybrid movement.

They haven’t always represented this to me. I used to be anti-Macs, but, after the iPod revolution, and my dad constantly reiterating to me: “We’re creative people! Apple computers are for creative people,” I decided to convert. I want to be creative. I want people to think I have innovation. Macs personify liberal in my mind. Well, I’m liberal, too! People must understand all this when they see me pull out my MacBookPro and start to hammer away.

I had to be made a believer out of Toyota, too. When they came out with that Prius line I was sold. Even though I don’t own a Prius, they’re kind of pricy, that is my dream car. In fact, I was recently purchasing my first car, and one of my friends told me the kind of car she pictured me driving: a Prius! Is there a better compliment? Maybe through the other products that I use and identify with I gave off the Toyota vibe. I must be doing something right.

The Gap snatched me up as a customer long ago. My dream summer job to work at that magical company finally came true this past summer! While going behind their Wizard of Oz-like curtain the magic wore off a little, but I am more of a walking advertisement for Gap than ever before. Mostly in part because of that pesky 50% employee discount, which is where most of my paychecks went. To be a successful employee, to really sell the brand, you have to believe in it, or be a really good actor. My soul belongs to Gap. Therefore, I was a successful employee. Even if one season or two doesn’t fit my fancy, you can bet I’ll still come scourging back when the new lines come out. It’s because I believe. And, I believe because my body, soul and mind have been branded.

Naomi Klein, author of No Logo, would cringe at everything I have just said above. The media critic is passionately in opposition with logos, and the idea of branding our entire lives. Naomi believes that we don’t wear the brand anymore but that the brand wears us. And she’s right. We do not buy the product; we buy the products’ brand. What will a stranger think of you when they see you wearing that Gap logo-ed sweatshirt?

I have one boy-crazy friend, who always makes inferences about random guys. She tries to figure out if the two of them would be compatible. She’ll compare them to her Colorado-granola standard. “Well, he had a Northface fleece on, so we’re soul mates,” or “Was that a Camlbak water bottle he just drank from? It’s true love!” You and I both do this, too, we can’t help it. Most of us aren’t as outright about it as my friend here. But, someday we will choose our significant others on what brands they’re representing, because we will inevitably be associated with those as well. Better choose wisely, I guess.

Is Naomi Klein’s no logo any better though? I don’t know. What sort of refuge does no logo offer as opposed to Logo Land. Here I am at Shades of Brown, the no logo, un-franchised coffee shop, feeling very good about myself for not selling what little bit of my soul I still have left to that coffee giant, Starbucks. But my soy chai latte costs more here. It’s farther away from campus, too. And, you know that sacred place, the toilet? It’s got Riverside Nissan ads and the like plastered on the wall. I thought I was being different. I thought I was escaping Logo Land. Nope. Not possible. Incessant advertising is just unavoidable. Perpetual branding happens even while your sitting in the john. Naomi Klein’s no logo will turn into a brand someday, too. Branding moments, branding our lives, branding the world has become the most lucrative business. You think you can avoid it? I’d like to see you try.