Branding is one of those things that just works. We've all been bamboozled by a shiny tag at least once in our lives. What is it about a name brand that makes us hand out cash like candy? Is there really a difference?
I like to think about underwear and bathing suits any time I'm convincing myself to just go store brand. Because, really? This is the ultimate rebranding we all just let happen.
Louis Réard, a French designer in the 1940's decided on a steamy July day to debut the two-piece bathing suit! He totally missed out on marketing to the Americans for July 4th, but Europeans don't give a shit about us anyway. July 5th, 1946 was a day to go down in history; he did it! Réard really and truly figured out a way to get women to wear undergarments in public and WE LET HIM.
Of course, what is there to complain about? I, for one, know that had I been around for this, I'd be first in line for this baby. An excuse to show myself off in an acceptable way? Fuck yeah! And before you render me inflated, you like dressing up too. It's fun! For the 2% of us out there comfortable in our skin - only like 5% of the time though - this was the beginning of something grand.
And it's funny, bikinis have been around for quite some time and still, it's totally unacceptable to wear panties in public. Recently, on a visit to my in-laws, the family decided to go for a dip in the pool - it was freezing. I had not packed a swimsuit being that it was Germany in January, so retired to the living room to watch everyone else jump in.
I had underwear, of course. I even had a bra! Did I ever consider putting those on to go in the pool, though? Nope!
It's all about the branding and the marketing. It's so stupid clever it's almost idiotic how effective some strategies can be. If some French dude in the 40's could pull off marketing women's underwear for public use? We have to assume anything is marketable enough to be anything. So, why do we pay attention to the tags? Why do we listen to the marketing? We're completely consumed by this as a capitalistic society, it's really all we have!
And it's true. We live in a world where the only finite way to measure our self-worth is by the material goods we own. It defines our personality without us having to open our mouths. We decorate our homes and we decorate our bodies in ways that make it easier for us to connect and be accepted without ever needing to offer a verbal explanation. And the major brands know this! It's about community and our need to align with one another.
So, the underlying thing at play here in marketing is the human need to connect and be seen or heard. It plays on our emotions and convinces us of "needs" we never knew about. It's kind of gross!
What is the difference between a bra set and bikini? Material? Is that all you have to offer? The fucking material?
Again, I won't necessarily complain too much here as I love a good bikini, but we have to ask ourselves, when is enough, enough? I know I'm being played every time I put one on, but I'm cool with it. There have been many times - maybe even still - that I've truly been gobsmacked by a marketing ploy that sends me into a shopping frenzy. Stop! (I'm screaming at me, not you) Stop!!!
Next time you're caught between brands or unsure if you really need that new gadget, consider for a moment the bikini. Does this item have a history? How has it transformed? Is this model really better than the last? We may never know the answers to these questions, but we could at the very least try to find some meaning behind our shopping before brands bombard and blind us with their schemes.
Because it's all just one big scheme. I can't remember the last time I bought something that actually did what it said it would every single time without fault. I'm looking at you, Beis. I assumed your quality was that of the stars with the prices you put out there. Every single bag I've ever gotten from Beis has broken within the year. And maybe I carry around too much shit, but really? Every single one?
Forget the brand, Ignore the marketing, and shop on intuition. If it feels like undergarments, and looks like undergarments, it's probably just undergarments.
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