No Logo

As its title suggests, No Logo is very much concerned with the role that the iconography of modern corporations plays in our lives. From the Nike “swoosh” to Disney’s Mickey Mouse, consumers are bombarded with a uniform set of images and references designed to establish the omnipresence of a select number of global brands. For Klein, corporate messaging has become a kind of new lingua franca, or common language, that unites buyers and customers across the globe. Everyone, at just about any age and in every country, recognizes a symbol like the “Golden Arches” and its marketing significations.

According to Klein, the development of the global language of brands has both negative and positive consequences. She spends most of No Logo arguing for why the pandemic-like spread of corporate marketing and advertising has led to a reduction in genuine public space, consumer choice, and economic stability. Chapter 8, “Corporate Censorship,” is particularly sensitive to the extent to which companies will go to protect their brand imaging as intellectual property. While the longevity and importance of, say, Barbie is a manifestation of the market domination sought by Mattel, the company is quick to litigate if anyone uses their product without proper authorization and/or compensation.