Brand.New world:
Tell me what you buy and I tell you who you are

Thousand of faces "marked" in front of the Brand.New entrance door

"I've bought five pieces of the same brand and none of them gives me problems ."
"I've bought this same brand for 40 years."
"Why are we crazy about brands and labels? "
"Find out the true about some well known brands and what they tell about you."
"This exhibition contains information about well known brands which must surprise you."

Thousand of faces "marked" in front of the Brand.New entrance door

There aren't slogans and effect phrases missing. They fulfill everybody's mind, inhabitants of the contemporary world. Finally, this is one of the marketing "bigwigs". "This is what it is": we are bombarded by communication of brand images of all kinds, through words, sounds and images. We can't run away: "Just do it"!

With curatory of Jane Pavitt and Gareth Williams, the Brand.New exhibition takes something from this universe to one of the rooms in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Rather visited, reaffirms the great interest of the public from the consumption world - as real as fantastical - what surrounds it.

At first, the Brand Field installation, from the designer Thomas Heatherwick, receives the visitor with thousands - yes, thousands - of trimmed fragments of advertisements, packages, bags, labels, tags. In the huge room, a bit of life as it is on the streets, supermarkets, wardrobes, kitchen or bathroom wall cabinets: "marked".

A brand is much more than a name or a logo: in the contemporary world, labels have complex identities, created by marketing , communication and design teams. They constitute a subjective universe, full of personality. The product itself? Many times, it is what is least important, in favor of one concept strategically created around it. And so, as the company Interbrand Consultancy affirms, present in the exhibition, "anything or anyone is capable of becoming - or be become - a brand".

Inside each can of beans a different universe

Examples aren't missing: you just have to pay attention to the political world or from celebrities or even sleep with the phrase from the young and cult English artist Damien Hirst: "I became a brand". In other words: what takes your name dismisses better explanations. Charity, political organizations and even nations, make and present themselves as brands. From social, cultural, political, economical e philosophical, postures and a lot of study on psychology of the consumer, they communicate their context through the midia and, in some way, sell themselves. Researchers affirm that not far from now , even the genes - the human being potential - will have logos . We have to think about and the exhibition continues, covering some crucial points: from history to perspectives; from products to profiles; from concepts to subversion.

Photo by Graham Brandon for V&A

A second environment presents displays dedicated to uncountable products and trade marks, well known by the public. The star - who could it be? - is Coca Cola. Created in 1886, is an example of brand which succeeded - well succeeded - and won the world. In 1917, more than 300 similar names were trying to follow the same path of success and establish themselves. Some were prosecuted and others subsist, but neither Universal Cola nor Christo Cola could obtain the same miracle . In 1950, its growing phenomenon was such that it was called "Coca-Cola Colonization" . Its inventor, Dr. John S. Pemberton declared: "if I had US$ 25,000.00, I would spend US$ 24,000.00 in advertisements and the rest making Coca Cola."

Following, the sector Personalizing the brands only emphasizes the history which has already been told: seven small rooms show products representing strong concepts worked by contemporary brands, such Authority, Friendship, Loyalty and Consciousness. It isn't by coincidence that fashion is the purest image of the other three: Authenticity, with jeans Levi's to all proves; Status, through the imposingness of Burbery, Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Versace; and Irreverence, in the frontiers of the communication of Benneton, French Connection and Diesel. Fashion brands know how to make themselves! Live in the bodies, dress their own personalities.

Pepsi Cola's cricket balls, sold in India.

So, Marking personalities, the next big room, talks to the previous environment. Now on the consumers perspective, a series of short feature films reproduces individual answers to the brands. Microuniverses surrounded by labels all around. Barbie, Nike, Adidas, Guess, Tesco, Boots, Gap, Sony, Apple, Nokia, Muji, Hello Kitty… "Why this one and not that other one?" Personal perceptions and expectations are pure food for the success of the products. At the same time, defines part of our own identity. Contemporary oracle: "tell me what you buy and I'll tell you who you are!"

Finally, after the unavoidable sensation of really be "marked cattle", the last environment is a blow of contravention. Subverting brands relieves with a good humored series, of examples more or less "against": forgeries, copies, appropriation, re-readings and parodies.

Copies impress by the similarity, re-readings are funny in their ambitious. And as appropriation, is interesting the Pepsi Cola' case, total success in India. The phenomenon is such, that makes to emerge Pepsi shoes, Pepsi pregador de roupa, Pepsi cricket balls - all of that manufactures by small local companies and totally out of control from the big soft drink brand.

T-shirt making a parody of Nike, exposed in the subversion room.

Other more artistic manifestations subvert logos and slogans and anarchize the wonderful world of publicity, satisfying the most critic visitor, with a hint of defiance and a revolutionary sign. Very radical, the Adbusters, www.adbusters.org Canadian group that acts in several senses, has as proposal " make to think about the consumption culture". Through publishing, "anti TV commercials, public performances and doing the Buy Nothing Day - a day in the year when there are manifestations against consumption - They affirm that, facing the marketing and midia power "the product is you". And advise:
"there was a time when we used to buy what we need. Now, we don't need much, but we buy for other reasons: to impress one another, to fulfill lacks, to spend time. 20% of the world population uses 80% of their natural resources. Our excess of consumption is killing the planet.

Adbuster manifest: Buy nothing Day

Leaving the exhibition, obviously, the visitor drops into the Brand.New store, where he can acquire the catalog, souvenirs, post cards and a lot more products of companies which are exposing in there. The possibility of "consumption" couldn't be missed.

- Workshops of photographs, conferences and lectures directed to students, teachers and professionals of the area, are still scheduled during December and January. More information through the site www.vam.ac.uk (unlosable!)

- Exhibitions Courts - Room 39 - Victoria and Albert Museum Cromwell Road, South Kensigton - South Kensington underground. Until 14 of January, 2001