Branding the Individual

I have read so many articles and books (like Branded by Alissa Quart) that deal with how brands define an individual. Everything a person eats, wears, drives, etc., is a brand. The reason for which an individual chooses a certain brand over another has a lot to do with the emotion that is attached to purchasing a certain brand of product. There is no escape from being “branded.” I agree when Pavitt states, “we can use goods to locate ourselves and establish a sense of belonging.” Individuals who buy fancy cars and brand name clothing feel accepted in the social circle that they are trying to join. Branding is creating subcultures, and is inevitably dividing society. Is there a stop to this? I have no idea. I think branding becomes worse every year.

My cousin has an eight year old child, and when I went over to visit she was wearing an entirely new outfit from head to toe, including jewelry and shoes. I asked her what the occasion was, and why she had gotten new clothes. She said to me “Julie is the coolest girl in school because she buys her clothes from Justice, so mom took me shopping there so I can be just as cool as Julie.” It turns out that my cousin spent over $250.00 at a place called Justice in the mall because she didn’t want her child to feel left out at school. The entire store she said was aimed towards my cousin’s age range. There were hip new child stars such as Miley Cyrus modeling Justice clothing in their catalogue. I could not believe how brands were targeting such young children. I still can’t get over it.