Brand Names' Control Over Society

They're everywhere. Look around you, there's bound to be at least several in the room that you're in. I'm looking at one right now as I'm typing this entry. What is it exactly that's flooded society for hundreds of years now? Brand names. We all have our preferences, Adidas over Nike, Apple over Android, Target over Walmart. As consumers in society, brands are completely unavoidable. Purchasing items from food, to clothing, to household appliances day in and day out causes us to build a natural preference towards certain companies. When shopping, we almost get a sense of comfort and reassurance when we see a name or logo that we are familiar with.

Every single ad technique and consumer appeal is made by these brands. Modern advertising is constantly being defined by the marketing ploys launched by these various companies to prove that their product is superior to that of its competitors. Imagine a world without brand names. Cars on the road would all still look different, but you wouldn't be able to say "There goes a Camaro!" or "Look at that Buick!" One of the most dominant ad techniques utilized by companies is that of testimonial. When people see athletes and celebrities wearing certain brands across all forms of media, we automatically begin to associate quality, fame, and status with those brands. I am positive that if certain brands such as Nike didn't have the star power that they do to back their products, then the prices for their items would be significantly more affordable.

In the Frontline film that we are currently watching in class, one main topic is the idea of what teens think is "cool." Brand names have a profound impact on what teens define as cool and not-cool. Teens wouldn't show nearly as much praise for the Adidas Yeezy, if Kanye West wasn't promoting it on social media 24-7. I definitely would have never purchased a Gucci if people didn't associate the glimmering G buckle with status and wealth. I wish that brands didn't matter so much, yet often times I fid myself getting caught up in the race to look "cool" by buying and wearing certain name brand products.

I guess that in an effort to at least step away from constantly buying brand name clothing, we can look back to Macklemore's "Thrift Shop." Go to a thrift shop, and you'll be spending less money on good quality money. However, this is way easier said than done for most, myself included. I can't remember the last time that I went to a thrift store. People have grown so accustomed to the brands that they use on a daily basis, that its hard for them to break out of their comfort zones. If you're reading this, try out a different brand of a clothing or food the next time you're out shopping, you may be pleasantly surprised. Regardless of which brand we buy from, at the end of the day we're still constantly spending hard-earned money on items that we both do and don't need.