other publications
No Space (Evolution of the Brand in No Logo)
Jordan Johns
New Branded World
The first part of Naomi Klein’s book No Logo, entitled "New Branded World" deals with the concept of brands--from their respective early beginnings to what we see today--and how they are both connected with and separate from advertisements.
The rise in wealth and cultural influence of multinational corporations can be traced back to a concept devised in the mid-1980s: for a corporation to be successful, its primary line of production is brands, not products.
In 1938, an editorial in Fortune Magazine had argued that the depression was ravaging the American economy because the United States had lost sight of the importance of making things. It stated that the basic function of an industrial economy is to produce goods. A similar lack of focus on production ultimately led to the recession in the 1980s when corporations found themselves to be oversized and with too many employees. It was at this time that corporations like Nike and Microsoft, and later Tommy Hilfiger and Intel pioneered a new type of production; thanks to labour-law reform, they were able to have their products made for them by contractors overseas. Moreover, they claimed that their products were not things but images of their brands. This then gave rise to the distinction between advertisements and brands. Klein asks us to “think of the brand as the core meaning of the modern corporation, and of the advertisement as one vehicle used to convey that meaning to the world.”
The Brand Expands
The second part of NO SPACE is called "The Brand Expands" and deals with the evolution of brand names and how they came into mass prominence with the use of superstar endorsements. Klein noted how logos on brand-named clothing were generally only seen inside the clothes and in the early 1970s the world began to see the likes of Ralph Lauren’s Polo Horseman and Izod Lacosta’s alligator on the outside of shirts. In the words of Naomi Klein, "These logos served the same social function as keeping the clothing’s price tag on: everyone knew precisely what premium the wearer was willing to pay for style."
In the case of Tommy Hilfiger, his logo has become not only large scale--as in highly recognizable in the fashion world--but the appearance of his logo on his clothes has become larger sized than other company logos so that the wearers of these clothes appear to be real-life “Tommy dolls, mummified in fully branded Tommy worlds.” Branding has also led to competition between the major players in their respective industries (Pepsi vs. Coke; Nike vs. Reebok; McDonald's vs. Burger King).
Marketing on the internet has been able to blur the line between editorial and advertising more aggressively than in the physical world. For example the Teen People website allows readers to order cosmetics and clothes while reading about them.
The biggest branding to take place is in professional sports. Nike has a three-step process for their success in this arena.
- First step: create a sports celebrity to act as a flagship endorsement for a product. For example, Nike was catapulted to huge success in large part by the tremendous basketball skills of Michael Jordan.
- Step two is to win not the competition with other companies but to win back the true spirit of sports which Nike CEO Phil Knight says has been jeopardized by the greed of sports agents and governing bodies.
- Step Three is to sell all possible merchandise under a given brand name – like Nike does with sneakers, clothes, sports equipment etc.
In the case of the mega-celebrity of Michael Jordan, Nike has entered into competition with him. Michael Jordan would not let Nike act as his agent unless they compensated him for millions of dollars in lost revenue. Rather than let Nike manage his portfolio, Michael Jordan tried to build synergy deals between his various sponsors – including trying to get Nike to switch phone companies to WorldCom, a company that Michael Jordan endorses.
Alt.Everything
The third part of NO SPACE is called "Alt.Everything." This section focuses on the youth or MTV generation. It notes how corporations in the early nineties noted a large population growth in the teen demographic. Markets that were slumping were able to recover by focusing their promotions at the teenagers. Fashions worn by musicians were marketed towards the MTV-generation and again products were successfully marketed by star power endorsements. I like to refer to this section as the one about the MTV generation because that is primarily its focus. The generation that grew up in the early nineties was perhaps the most influenced by modes of popular culture such as trends in music, both in fashion worn by the musicians and by the music itself. It seems that at this time music was the endorsement of choice aimed at selling products to a generation hypnotized by sounds and images.
It is safe to say that today branding is here to stay. Furthermore, with the aid of celebrity endorsements, large scale companies like Tommy Hilfiger will thrive. Many in today's society are fashion conscious and easily influenced by what they see. Strong television or billboard advertisements will ensure the selling of branded items for generations to come.
Klein used Michael Jordan as an example of celebrity endorsement for Nike. Current examples of star power have gone beyond endorsements, resulting in celebrities launching their own clothing lines and restaurants. Some of these include: martial arts superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme’s denim line “Dammege7;” Jennifer Lopez has her own clothing and fragrance line that can be purchased online at www.shopjlo.com; classic celebs like Dan Aykroyd have their restaurants like “House of Blues,” while Arnold Schwarzenegger has his “Schazi on Main” in LA. Even younger stars like the cast of That 70’s Show have entered into the restaurant business with their Italian eatery “Dolce.” In this respect, big companies still thrive on their brands through the marketing of their logos (which represents their status for themselves and for those who wear branded items).
Finally, celebrity endorsements have evolved to the point where celebrities are now endorsing their own products. The “brand” has not just expanded--it has exploded. The marketplace is now anyone’s game...as long as they are well funded.
Works Cited
JenniferLopez.Com. www.jenniferlopez.com
Klein, Naomi. No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2000.
Wayne, Gary. "Restaurants Owned by the Stars." Seeing Stars in Hollywood. 2003. www.seeing-stars.com/Dine/index.shtml. © Jordan Johns 2004 Fair Dealing Applies.