a verynice design studio.

While I do agree with the debate against branding in the sense that corporate branding is an immediate support of capitalism and globalization, I find this negative outlook on branding to often go a bit too far. These negative aspects fall within a small category of branding projects that a designer or strategist will encounter.

Depending on your own thoughts on these issues explained by Klein amongst many others, you as the designer or strategist can make your own decisions as to what types of clients to work with. A cultivator of brand identity can work within the field of branding their entire life without ever doing work for a large corporation, and instead focusing on local businesses, non-profits and other clients that lack such titanic natures. A designer or strategist can also dedicate their lives to using their knowledge and skills to re-define these large corporations, insisting that they use their power to initiate good within our society. An excellent example of a major corporation’s brand being put to good use is Pepsi’s 2010 Superbowl campaign… oh wait, they didn’t have one! This is because they decided to put all of the money they would have spent on Superbowl ads* into fostering a viral campaign (Pespi Refresh Project) aiming to bring awareness to non-profit organizations and individuals dedicating their lives and services to the betterment of society. I find Pepsi, a brand that has long been critiqued by people such as Klein, to be setting a great example of the potential these major corporations such as Nike, Walmart, and Starbucks have to put their well established power, colossal existence, vast consumer following, and brand identity to good use. If every major conglomerate were to follow this concept, the world could actually be subject to amazing change, and the brand, in fact, would benefit.