Comments on: The “No-Brand” Brand http://matchstic.com/blog/2009/08/the-no-brand-brand/ Thoughts from a Brand Identity House Tue, 22 May 2012 19:11:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Andy Leonard http://matchstic.com/blog/2009/08/the-no-brand-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-8542 Andy Leonard Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:43:08 +0000 http://matchstic.com/blog/?p=3273#comment-8542 This reminds me of Metallica's Some Kind of Monster where Kirk wanted to have a guitar solo in a song on the St Anger album and James said no. James said he did not want to date the music, date it back to a specific period. Kirk said with no solo, they were still dating the music to the current period. You may notice St Anger does not have a single guitar solo! I say this to say, as Winokur pointed out, by saying you are not going to have a brand, you are creating a brand. Your brand is no brand. As Craig says, it gets your attention and gets people talking!!! This reminds me of Metallica’s Some Kind of Monster where Kirk wanted to have a guitar solo in a song on the St Anger album and James said no. James said he did not want to date the music, date it back to a specific period. Kirk said with no solo, they were still dating the music to the current period. You may notice St Anger does not have a single guitar solo!

I say this to say, as Winokur pointed out, by saying you are not going to have a brand, you are creating a brand. Your brand is no brand. As Craig says, it gets your attention and gets people talking!!!

]]> By: Blake Howard http://matchstic.com/blog/2009/08/the-no-brand-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-8526 Blake Howard Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:29:18 +0000 http://matchstic.com/blog/?p=3273#comment-8526 Pretty interesting topic. You could create a "non-brand" if you absolutely controlled it, but you don't. A brand is what "they" say, not what "you" say. I guess if you were your only customer then that might work. Pretty interesting topic. You could create a “non-brand” if you absolutely controlled it, but you don’t. A brand is what “they” say, not what “you” say. I guess if you were your only customer then that might work.

]]> By: Craig Johnson http://matchstic.com/blog/2009/08/the-no-brand-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-8524 Craig Johnson Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:03:49 +0000 http://matchstic.com/blog/?p=3273#comment-8524 I'm always impressed with anyone that can slip in a Crystal Pepsi reference. I’m always impressed with anyone that can slip in a Crystal Pepsi reference.

]]> By: Mike Landman http://matchstic.com/blog/2009/08/the-no-brand-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-8516 Mike Landman Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:44:58 +0000 http://matchstic.com/blog/?p=3273#comment-8516 Total no-brand brand. I think it's cool, but I can see through it like a bottle of Crystal Pepsi. Total no-brand brand. I think it’s cool, but I can see through it like a bottle of Crystal Pepsi.

]]> By: Craig Johnson http://matchstic.com/blog/2009/08/the-no-brand-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-8512 Craig Johnson Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:18:12 +0000 http://matchstic.com/blog/?p=3273#comment-8512 More than anything, it's something that has a lot of people talking about Freshjive. From that perspective, it's brilliant. More than anything, it’s something that has a lot of people talking about Freshjive. From that perspective, it’s brilliant.

]]> By: Alvin Diec http://matchstic.com/blog/2009/08/the-no-brand-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-8511 Alvin Diec Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:12:38 +0000 http://matchstic.com/blog/?p=3273#comment-8511 Up to the point of literally not putting their name on the tags, this is essentially what American Apparel has always done. And countless other shirt-makers. (I can't think of any shirts in my closet WITH a logo on it). While I commend the intention of "FreshJive", if that black-rectangle-with-white-border stays consistent on their shirts (on that third photo it looks like it's visible from the outside), it will become their "logo". Up to the point of literally not putting their name on the tags, this is essentially what American Apparel has always done. And countless other shirt-makers. (I can’t think of any shirts in my closet WITH a logo on it).

While I commend the intention of “FreshJive”, if that black-rectangle-with-white-border stays consistent on their shirts (on that third photo it looks like it’s visible from the outside), it will become their “logo”.

]]> By: Steven Winokur http://matchstic.com/blog/2009/08/the-no-brand-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-8510 Steven Winokur Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:50:34 +0000 http://matchstic.com/blog/?p=3273#comment-8510 Reminds me of the scene from "Singles" where the main male character decides he won't have an "act". He says that to one of the main female characters and she says something like, "you're not having an act, is your act." Of course it's not possible to have no brand at all. Your brand might be a "no-brand", but it's still a brand. Just like in the movie - not having an act was his act. It is possible though to have no brand awareness... Reminds me of the scene from “Singles” where the main male character decides he won’t have an “act”. He says that to one of the main female characters and she says something like, “you’re not having an act, is your act.”

Of course it’s not possible to have no brand at all. Your brand might be a “no-brand”, but it’s still a brand. Just like in the movie – not having an act was his act.

It is possible though to have no brand awareness…

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