Image source: http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/toys/detail-page/c26-B004Z3MLLY-1-l.jpg
For those of you who don’t know, there is now a board game out there called Logos. The description for the game states that our life is full of things and that they all have logos. It is the game where you get to test your consumer knowledge. Just an aside: I love board games. No, really. I LOVE board games. I don’t have any in my current residence right now, but I made a mental note to build a collection once I move into my home end of this month. I love Cranium, Scattegories, Taboo and Pictionary to name a few. And I am that competitive person who doesn’t like to lose in board games. I am on you with that timer and buzzer. Like white on rice.
Back to the board game. The idea of guessing logos actually appealed to me. But it also got me thinking about how we are such a consumerist society that there is even a BOARD GAME about it. This board game pretty much justifies how advertising is so in your face here in North America. Would it be less fun if there was a European or Asian version of the game? Sure they have their own brands, but would one say they are a consumerist society?
How easily we are able to recognize logos can start at a young age too. My mom told me I recognized the Sears logo and McDonald’s logo well before I could read. Hah.
Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, it is practically impossible not to get bombarded with advertising. Starbucks here. Taco Bell there. Here a Starbucks. There a Starbucks. Everywhere a Starbucks. Not that there’s really anything wrong with advertising. It’s part of life. We all use things. Some things we need. Some things we don’t. And pretty much all of them have a logo attached to it. And all of them have a story behind it. What people of the company wanted the logo to represent. How they wanted the product/service/company/organization to be perceived. Take the logo for Lululemon. Internet sources say it is a stylized “A”, which stands for Athletically Hip. This name was being considered for the company. It didn’t make the grade, but the logo did. Coming from a science background, upon first seeing the logo I immediately thought it looked like the Ohm, the unit of electrical resistance.
I like to think I’m one of those frugal people who can claim, oh I’m not into brand names, they’re a waste of money. I say this as I walk out of a Starbucks (which I got during one of their promotional drink days), decked out with a Columbia Sportswear Jacket (got on sale, discounted even further because of rip in lining), Lululemon yoga pants (which I never go to yoga in, I wear shorts) and Birkenstocks ( I need supportive footwear for my plantar fasciitis. Look it up. It’s painful). There you go. I, like you and pretty much all of us are walking billboards. Even the not so popular brands, lower end brands have logos too. They’re just not as recognizable, so we consider them as “no name” brands. What cracks me up is when people wear the clothing that has the name of the store and the name is HUGE. There’s no way you can’t miss it. Even without your prescriptive lenses. Yes, I am talking to you in the Gap t-shirt and American Eagle sweatpants.
I am curious to check this game out. You should too. You may be surprised at how many logos you recognize without giving a second thought. Board games I never liked playing? Monopoly and Scrabble.
Check out this website: Logo Design Love. It’s a site about the design of logos and brand identities.
HAha I hate the shirts that have the huge logo! They are not cute.
Lol. I know!
i was looking at getting this exact game for christmas too. what else does everyone no matter what your interests are have in common besides all the materialistic things in life. i always say i hate brand names and don’t care about them either, but yet when i buy a shirt from a store if the logo is hidden or too small, i get sad! i guess i care more than i want to
I think we all do….When I worked at Lululemon a few years back, there were customers that would complain that they couldn’t see the logo. There was actually one girl who brought back her pants and wanted the logo ironed back on because it was coming off and you couldn’t fully see it anymore. I found that to be a little extreme.
i got the game and it looks so fun! we are having a gaming party friday night where we will test it out. looking forward to it.
I’m such a board game junkie, too! I studied advertising and how deeply it effects our lives and everyday decisions last semester. It’s INTENSE. I don’t think there’s anyway to avoid it, unless you live in Sao Paulo. http://www.adbusters.org/magazine/73/Sao_Paulo_A_City_Without_Ads.html 🙂 Might have to check the game out!
I’m totally excited to have board game nights at my new place!
Why do we pay EXTRA for a logo? Do we really need a shirt that says Dr. Pepper or Coca-Cola on it? Now, a car that says Corvette, THAT I can get excited about!
I guess it is because we want people to show what brands we like. I personally wouldn’t buy a t-shirt advertising food and drink brands, but hey some people would.
Very true. I think that all of the time when I see people with their Hollister shirts, etc. I try not to be a walking billboard, but I fail:)
LOL. It’s ok. I won’t judge. 🙂
I love boardgames and also can’t stand Monopoly or Scrabble.
I find it funny that people not only wear clothing with huge logos (as you do)….but that they pay money to wear them! Now if I can get people to pay to wear our podcast logo around, I’ll be rockin’!
For me with Monopoly, I don’t like the fact it can go on for hours on end. I had a Scrabble marathon at a friend’s cottage a couple of summers ago, so now I am absolutely sick of that game! 😛
It’s not just logos either – slogans are very pervasive, especially the catchy ones that stick in your head! I’m hoping to get some board games this Christmas so maybe Well check it out 😉
So true. It’s crazy how many slogans I can rhyme off and jingles I can sing. Remember those Mentos commercials??