Brands®️

[washing machine]

Kind of an all-purpose thread. I'd rather it in N&D versus GD because of the economic, environmental, sociological, and philosophical nature of brands. For "brands" in this thread, I'm basically talking about consumer products and services specifically.

Things I love about brands:
-Guarantee of consistency. ex: I like that I know I'm getting a quality sock when I buy a Saucony variety pack from Amazon. I know what to expect at a Pearl Jam show.
-Personality. This is a double-edged sword, because so so many brands come across as inauthentic, but every once in a while you'll find a brand that just gets you. I like when a brand develops an authentic voice and becomes part of the cultural zeitgeist
-Availability and universality. Tying in with the whole zeitgeist thing, I like that I can talk about a brand in Texas that someone else likes in Tivoli. I also love learning about other regional brands I can't get here.
-Good brands and good companies are good employers. This should be self-explanatory, but I've met a lot of people who are very fulfilled and happy working for a brand who has their back and gives them room to grow. With big brands can come big opportunity, and this is a good thing for a whole community.

Things I loathe about brands:
-Kind of tying in with things I love #1, I hate the sameness of brands. The more logos out there, the less unique existence seems for me. Kind of shallow to admit, but I am becoming increasingly aware of brands and logos on people and things. Kind of like Cayce Pollard, the fictional logo-allergic character in Pattern Recognition. I long for a world with less in-your-face branding everywhere.
-Influencers. I can't escape them. I might just want to watch a shoe review or get a Fantano take on a new album, but in the back of my mind, even if they say it isn't happening, I just know there's some sort of deal going on behind the scenes to get this product hyped. Feels the exact opposite of authentic.
-Brand and Identity. "I've always been a Levi's guy." "Jameson is my brand, man." "Oh I know her. She's the girl who ALWAYS has a different pair of Vans on." Fuck that. No one need to be so loyal to a brand that it becomes your identity. This brand isn't paying you.
-Bad brands and companies stain a community. Labor exploits. Ill-advised "woke" campaigns. Environmental impact. Yikes.

Anyway, this is my thread about brands. I hope some people smarter than me can make it a good one.

[doug rr]

is this another thread about aldi?

[spike]

[washing machine]

is this another thread about aldi?

[washing machine]

I do love the un-brand brand of Aldi's house offerings. They get the logos so close to copyright infringement, and the products contained within are uncanny in their similarity to the more successful brands that are twice as expensive.

[doug rr]

i'm loyal to titleist golf balls and birkenstocks..

[E.H. Ruddock]

I’m a Sanuk guy Doug

[spike]

I recently picked up a pair of Olukai sandals that are the most comfortable things ever.

[doug rr]

I’m a Sanuk guy Doug

i have a couple pair and love them..their soles tend to slip on concrete during marine layer mornings though/.

[doug rr]

I recently picked up a pair of Olukai sandals that are the most comfortable things ever.

oh, they're great...i guess i'm not loyal to a shoemaker..

[daft twat]

Heinz

It’s the only brand I can think of that I insist upon.

My mom once bought some off brand ketchup called Stokley’s. My sister and I had her on the verge of tears. “Could you please pass the Stokley’s?” is still the meanest thing I’ve ever said to my mom.

[spike]

I only like Hellman’s mayonnaise.

[E.H. Ruddock]

I only use Dukes Mayo

[spike]

Why are you like this

[doug rr]

i love both but duke's has to be an amazon thing for me..stupid east coast

[E.H. Ruddock]

Why are you like this

Wtf

[verb_to_trust]

I second the Heinz ketchup thing. Heinz mustard is nasty though, gotta be French's

[lennytheweedwhacker]

Dr. Pepper.

[simple schoolboy]

Rainbow sandals

[macphisto]

I’m not picky about ketchup but usually get Aldi’s organic offering which has real sugar instead of HFCS. I’ve got no problem with generic/store brand for most stuff. Charmin TP tho.