Brand of non-brand
From Mod Mania
BRAND of “NO BRAND”
The following is the exploration about brand as a response to the article ‘the Rebel Sell’ by Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter.
“The critique of mass society”= “the powerful source driving consumerism”
“The critique of mass society”≠ “the critique of consumerism”
American beauty and fight club was telling us the critique of mass society like ‘do not be same with the others, don be the part of it, be distinctive, and be special.’ The massage encourages us not to be in mass society. How? As Heath said that “Anti-consumerist are extremely brand-conscious” (the Rebel Sell), buying the brands is one of the ways to be anti-consumerist.
So, what is brand? Why do people buy it? It may have been used as the criterion for judgment or the factual basis for the decision because it warrants the quality of the product. But, now it may be not. The brand name or logo just gets out of control. Sometimes, it does not show quality any more. So, what is the role of brand? Why do we have to pay for the name, not for the quality?
In 1980, the same question was raised by one businessman and designer, and they launched a new private brand in order to get out of the mass consumption. This is the beginning of the MUJI.
MUJI is a Japanese retail company which sells a variety of everyday things, and the he company’s policy is based on “anti-brand.” They have been popularized the anti-brand movement and the good quality of goods at the affordable prices without showing of any designers name. (Venture Republic, 2008)
Actually, the name is coming from their policy. “MUJI” is derived from the first part of Mujirushi Ryōhin, translated as No label or logo, quality goods. So, their products do not have any logo or tag. Product is just product. Even the label was made to be easy to take out. Besides, their product is about minimalism, simplicity. So, how do people realize the MUJI products out of store?
That is the point. If there is good quality or good design without no name or logo, people might ask “is that MUJI?” It seems “the secret brand.” With keeping minimalism and simplicity in their product, they focus on design. It has 15 free lance designers who design for MUJI and also commissions top designers around the world to create its products, but these designers are unidentified, and MUJI refuses to identify which products they've made. (Business week, 2005)
So, the design will be evaluated by quality, not by the name of designer or brand.
Even they don’t want show kind of characteristic, "it's important to have a certain personality and iconic design that runs through," Igor's Manning says. So, MUJI is adopting a certain style. (Business week, 2005)
There are some examples which show how it makes difference from another similar company such as Target or IKEA which are famous suppliers of "good design" at affordable prices. Target is trying to surprise and entertain its guests; IKEA asks earnestly customers to "be brave, not beige."(Hsu. 2007)
On the other hand, MUJI delights in standing neuter. Almost all of its products are colorless, and the most amazing aspect is that their design is so nondescriptness. (Hsu, 2007) Although MUJI does not want logos or brands to mark their products, they cannot escape becoming noticeable brands because of their sophisticated deign concept. (Business week, 2005)
MUJI has no logo which brand usually has,
and its intentions is anti-brand, so MUJI is not brand,
but, MUJI has been famous, it’s like IKEA which represents mass society. so MUJI is brand.
If I buy MUJI products because I do not want to be in mass society, does it mean that MUJI is brand?
If I buy brand of non-brand, am I anti-consumerist or not?
REFERENCES
Businessweek 2005, the serious cachet of secrets brands 11 August 2005. Viewed at 12th April 2008/04/15 http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/aug2005/id20050811_388618.htm
Current 2008, Muji; The New Non- Brand, watched at 6th May 2008
http://current.com/items/88877455_muji_the_new_non_brand
Hsu ,M 2007, Coming to America Sept. 21, 2007 viewed at 15th April 2008
http://www.slate.com//id/2174251/
VentureRepublic 2008 ,Muji:Japanse no brand, viewed at 12th April 2008 http://www.venturerepublic.com/resources/Muji_The_Japanese_No-Brand.asp)
