“ If I’m going to advertise something, I should be paid for it. ” WSJ
An article in the WSJ about the resurgence of consumer branding spurred me. Branding with logos, distinctive labels and recognizable embellishments is hotter than ever, turning shoppers into walking billboards. Clever, n’est ce pas. But the cleverest trick? The customer willingly pays to be the billboard.
Branding is nothing new, but we used to wear our own brand. Monograms and trademark touches are examples of self-branding that have been with us for centuries. Shirts, handkerchiefs, buckles and signet rings are familiar examples. And countless personal touches secure our singular brand and telegraph it to others. I have worn a set of square silver bangles for years. They only come off to clear security. People tell me the clink of these little bracelets is the first sign of my approach. I hope they mean it in a comfortable rather than annoying way.
Branding is seductive. You think, “I belong.” And the company doing the branding is in agreement. You do belong. To them! Some brands are subtle, others shout. The loud ones are easy to recognize. The quieter ones require “being in the know”. This of course only boosts their cachet. Unlike the rancher to his cattle and the Brotherhood to the Pledges, the logo wielding corporate branders might not have a hot iron, but they sure know how to exact a pound of flesh.
Take your pick. Brand new, changing whenever the fashion winds shift? Or brand you, confidently content? "If I’m going to advertise something, it should mostly be me."
About the spurs? Branding spurred me. I just recognized the connection between the hot iron and the sharp spike but I bet it was there all along. Don’t call PETA. These spurs have never made their mark on anything other than a bookshelf. They’re a just a bit of a shrinking shrine to childhood. A childhood that began thirty four years ago today.