BRAND ON THE RUN

This article brings up a couple interesting points. The first statement that stood out to me is how issues that deal with big brands are kept out of the mainstream media. This is because the mainstream media is “run by big corporations with a vested interest in the status quo.” The three short stories in the beginning of the article caught my attention. Bernard Kemp is right, the design and brand doesn’t mean anything if it’s made in the same place as lesser known brands, or cheaply designed commodities. I personally feel that we are all playing a big game of monopoly and the big corporations are monopolizing the industries. They are devouring small businesses who work so much harder to deliver a better product. The Adbusters organization uses parodies and protest to try to defeat the almighty “BIG CORPORATION.” I think their ads are genius. Taking ads from Calvin Klein, Camel, and Absolut and twisting them to spite the brand is a smart idea because they are taking the most recognizable ads which help catch the attention of the everyday consumer. Also, I admire the “pranksters” that the article mentions. Their “media terrorism” activism is an interesting way to spite big corporations. I am talking of course about the Barbie Liberation Front who attacked the big corporation Mattel by buying up Barbie and GI Joe dolls, swapping their voice boxes, then returning them to he stores. I think it is a great idea to make life difficult for big brands in small ways.