Musings- A world without brands

The first thing I want to say is that branding is not a natural phenomenon. It has been created by humans as a way of achieving certain goals. In particular, brands were invented as a way for all the members of society to achieve two main ends: 1) The end of differentiation. Differentiation happens when individuals or groups have different opinions about reality (this can include thoughts and beliefs). This means that they perceive things differently, which leads them having different desires and acting in ways that are at odds with each other's behavior; this leads to conflict between people who think differently than us (it also results in prejudice, racism etc.). With brands we try to create an artificial standardization where everyone thinks alike and behaves according to set patterns; then these problems disappear.

2) The end of quality. Quality happens when individuals or groups have different abilities to perform certain tasks, and these abilities depend on some innate characteristics which are inherent (or inborn). For example, if someone possesses better motor skills than us this means that they will be able to run faster than we can; such an ability is something we cannot change about the individual. This leads to inequality within society where some people are better at things than others.

Brands are a way we use in order to make these problems disappear. With brands we try to create an artificial standardization where everyone thinks alike and behaves according to set patterns; then these problems disappear.

But there are some problems with brands. They try to force people into a standardization of behavior which is not really natural; it's rather artificial. But this is just the first problem.

Try to -for a minute- imagine a world without brands.

You do not remember any of the old brands you knew before, and it feels like everyone is wearing the same clothes anyway. There is no mechanism of quality control and no advertising, so you have to rely on your own judgment. It's a world in which people are wearing clothes that do not fit them.

And you are not wearing any clothes at all.

Ours is the world of quality control and advertising. People don't have to rely on their own judgment, because they can trust brands.

People are wearing clothes that fit them.

And you are wearing a shirt that says 'I am not wearing any clothes'.

People wouldn't know how to behave if the great brands weren't there to give them advice on what is right and wrong.

And you know what's more? If brands were to disappear, people would miss them. People are so dependent on brands that they can't even imagine life without them.

Brands are as important to people today as the gods and spirits were for primitive man.

Brands are the great moral authorities that people follow. If brands said that killing is right, then people would do it; if they said killing was wrong, then people wouldn't kill.

Can you then, imagine a world without brands?