Columns
Each and every one of us perceives brands from a different angle. What fascinates one person baffles another. And what shocks some, enthralls others. Popular authors share with us their own world of brands.
Güzin Kar - I think, therefore I Eames
When, as a child, I went with my parents to visit family friends on Sundays, an event that occurred more frequently than I would have liked, I knew from the outset that during the critique, which inevitably followed the visit, the host family’s sofa set would play a central role. The quality of the sofa set closely linked to the standing the family accorded them- selves. "Did you notice? The armchair was worn, the sofa wobbled and the furniture was old." Unmistakable signs that Continue »
Alain de Botton - Rebranding Psychotherapy?
For centuries in the West, there was a figure in society who fulfilled a function that is likely to sound very odd to modern secular ears. He (there were no she's in the role) didn't sell you anything or fulfill any material need, he couldn't fix you... Continue »
Markus Kavka - MTV or: My Life as a Brand
A few weeks ago, something very strange happened to me. I was doing a gig as a DJ at an open-air techno festival when, at around 8 p.m., a heavy storm broke over the grounds, eventually leading to a blackout. My set was already over and I stood at th... Continue »
Joey Goebel – A Life in Logos
It was not the proudest moment of my childhood when I had to walk up to my teacher in the middle of class and say, “I think I might be wearing someone else’s shoes.” In 1987 everyone in the second grade wore Eastland leather loafers. One day we... Continue »
Sibylle Berg - From Aldi to America
The parking attendant is a friendly, mature gentleman in his forties. That’s old in Hollywood. He greets clients with unsettling geniality. Is he really that happy or is he an actor? He probably earns about three dollars an hour. Visibly indignant,... Continue »
Juli Zeh - The Kellogg’s Trauma
“Kellogg’s!” Paradise’s name on earth. Except that we never got Kellogg’s, at least not at home, so we had to resort to the generosity of our friends’ parents who would let us sleep over on weekends. In the mornings, said friends’ mothe... Continue »
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