Companies are bigger now than at any other single point in the history of mankind. Business has changed and become something that only sci-fi writers ever really touched on (some of the best visions of future business can be found in one of Britain’s finest comics – 2000AD – ahead of its time and home over the years to some truly amazing talent). Some of them generate more wealth and have more people working for them than entire countries.
“what happens when they get REALLY big?”
It’s a question that many bright people have pondered over what happens when the brand or a company is bigger than a country, have more power than a government, can slip through tax loopholes like an oily lawyer and can have an effect on the very fabric of the culture it trades within. A legion of workers powering it along and an army of fawning consumers acting as ‘brand ambassadors’ and ‘zombie’ sales people – global evangelical consumerism is here. This is the beginning of Brands as nationalist parties – and as such, FOR FUN (please don’t get hung up on any of this) we’ve taken some leading company logos and re-imagined them as national flags. We’ve simply placed them in the context of a national party flag, the only one that we can’t shake the memory of; the best designed, most fearsome and most permanent shadow any design has ever cast. The German NAZI party flag (even typing it stirs up dark thoughts).
It’s also an exercise and opportunity to take 5 minutes to reflect on the power of logos, how they are used throughout society, how often we sit in their presence every day and how they can change how we look at and feel about companies, brands, products, services, politics and even each other. Enjoy. And remember, it’s just a bit of fun.
Brands as nationalist parties – company logos re-imagined by Studio ROKIT / SET ONE
Like the designs? Think there’s some we should give a treatment to? Leave a comment.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!