This essay will deal with the differences and similarities of an extract from ” No Logo” by Naomi Klein called “Autumn”, and the first chapter of the book “Culture Jam” by Kalle Lasn. The reason why to be focused on these authors, is because they both treat the brand influence in America and they build up arguments against it, so it is appreciable that they share multiple common denominators. Whereas Klein is focused on the brandi?’s history, its development and the relevance of marketing brandi??
s names rather than the products themselves, Lasn argues the consequences on the nowadays society as a result of living in a country considered as a wealthy brand marketed to the world. Nevertheless, these authors write in hugely different ways. Klein writes in a journalistic manner stating objective facts and results while Lasn implies his own opinion in his words, criticising the facts and encouraging the readers to become part of the solution. Klein opens the chapter with a strong argument about the shift in Americai?’s products value after the eighties, and consequently the change and influence that this shift has imposed on peoplei??
s life. Before this period, the relevance and value of industrialized economies was primarily the production of goods. Still, from the 1980i?’s onwards, American companies rather than merely “making things” they produced “images” of their brands1. As a result of this change, corporations were vastly focused on theirs brands that consequently production became secondarily. As she states, manufacturers rather buy products and “brand” them2. On the other hand, Lasn also highlights the changes on the nowadays ways of Americani?’s lives, yet due to the media environment shaping peoplei??
s lives, “living inside the post-modern spectacle has changed people3″. Consequently, there has been a break up between the new society and nature. According to Lasn people follow their mediated selves and he also states ” we have gone from living in a natural world to living in a manufactured one4″. Both authors explain changes that occurred due to the brand era, whereas Klein investigates the change of producti?’s production who has come to a second shot while the brands playing the leading role, Lasn criticizes the actual spectacle world as responsible of the change on Americans relationship with nature.
Klein carries on stressing out the beginning of the brand era. The obsession with brands is leading to a situation where no matter where you look at; adverts are everywhere. They could even be found in schools with the aim of targeting increasingly younger consumers. “This corporation obsession with brand identity is waging a war on public and individual space5” is supported by Klein. The latter Kleini?’s perspective is also shared and argued by the second author. Lasn corroborates the steady proliferation of messages which has flood America. Peoplei?’s eyes cannot come to rest without being flashed with adverts.
The lack of space free of logos or product messages is the consequence of a world where “there is nowhere to run6” Lasn states. Within the mentioned commercialized America, whereas Klein suggests that brands attempted to have their names associated with everything from for one instance, famous film stars, Lasn encourages the readers to ask themselves how influenced they are in their purchasing decisions due to Hollywood famous images promoting brands7. Still, it is considerable that both authors have in common the intention of highlighting the brands influence.
Moreover, Klein describes how marketers did not create mere ads to inform customers about new inventions, as she says these ads convince Americans that their lives would be better if they use the products8. The longed goal is to create on consumers necessities above the material, through spiritual advertising in order to achieve brands identifying with culture itself. Moving the audience is the aim, and the way to obtain it is through deep advertising. As this idea evolved, the author argues how agencies focused on what brands mean to the culture and to peoplei?’s lives rather than on individual products and their attributes9.
Similarly, Lasn shares with Klein the perspective of commercial emotional manipulation and also argues the consequences of this sort of advertising. Firstly, the author criticizes how Americai?’s society is manipulated by media spectacle which has colonized our mental environment10. Afterwards he extends Kleini?’s argument about the strategies used by companies in order to create new material necessities through manipulating our emotions. According to Lasn the success of these strategies is owing to making powerful connections between deep immaterial needs and material products11.
Nevertheless, Lasn adds to Kleini?’s argument the result on peoplei?’s behaviour after a long period of exposure to this shocking ads which are targeting peoplei?’s souls. The main consequence is the “erosion of empathy12”. The abuse of the emotional advertising has culminate on the evaporation of peoplei?’s compassion and even repulsion to these ads. In addition, it is also remarkable how Lasni?’s latter statement is corroborated by Kleini?’s ideas when she writes this metaphor: “consumers are like roaches,you spray and spray them and they get immune after a while13”.
