No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies is a book by Canadian journalist Naomi Klein. First published by Knopf Canada in January 2000, shortly after the WTO Ministerial Conference protests in Seattle had generated media attention around such issues, it became one of the most influential books about the anti-globalization movement and an international bestseller^{[citation needed]}. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (522x671, 92 KB)User:Markaci owns the book, and scanned the front cover. ... Naomi Klein (b. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... For the book by Chuck Palahniuk titled Non-fiction, see Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... ISBN redirects here. ... Naomi Klein (b. ... Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ... WTO redirects here. ... Anti-WEF grafiti in Lausanne. ...

Focus

The book focuses on branding, and often makes connections with the anti-globalization movement. Throughout the four parts (No Space, No Choice, No Jobs, and No Logo), Klein writes about issues such as sweatshops in the Americas and Asia, culture jamming, corporate censorship, and Reclaim the Streets. She pays special attention to the deeds (and alleged misdeeds) of Nike, The Gap, McDonalds, Shell, and Microsoft and their lawyers, contractors, and advertising agencies. Many of the ideas in Klein's book derive from the influence of the Situationists, an art/political group founded in the late 1950s. For other uses, see Brand (disambiguation). ... Sweatshop is a pejorative term used to describe a manufacturing facility, usually a garment manufacturing facility, where working conditions are poor and workers are paid little. ... World map showing the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere historically considered to consist of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... Culture jamming is the act of transforming existing mass media to produce commentary about itself, using the original mediums communication method. ... Corporate censorship is a term used to denote either censorship through legal challenges, through refusal to sell a product, or refusal to advertise or allow air time. ... Reclaim the Streets (RTS) is a collective with a shared ideal of community ownership of public spaces. ... Nike, Inc. ... Gap Inc. ... McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants[1]. Although McDonalds did not invent the hamburger or fast food, its name has become nearly synonymous with both. ... Royal Dutch Shell plc is a multinational oil company of British and Dutch origins. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising (and sometimes other forms of promotion) for its clients. ... The Situationist International (SI) was a small group of international political and artistic agitators with roots in Marxism, Lettrism and the early 20th century European artistic and political avant-gardes. ... The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ...

However, while globalization would appear to be a recurring theme, the topic itself is rarely addressed, and often indirectly. Klein would go on to discuss globalization in much greater detail in her next book, Fences and Windows.

Summary

As mentioned, the book is divided into four sections: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs, and No Logo. The first three deal with the negative effects of brand-oriented corporate activity, while the fourth discusses various methods people have taken in order to fight back.

No Space

The book starts off by tracing the history of brands. Early examples of brands, which were often used to put a recognisable face on factory produced products, slowly gave way to the idea of selling lifestyles. Then, at some point in the late eighties, there was something of an economic crash. Seemingly overnight, corporations began to seriously rethink their approach to marketing, and began to target the youth demographic, as opposed to the baby boomers, who had previously been considered much more valuable. A baby boom is defined as a period of increased birth rates relative to surrounding generations. ...

The book then goes into great detail about how brand names such as Nike or Pepsi expanded beyond the mere products which bore their names, and how these names and logos began to appear everywhere. As this happened, the brand's obsession with the youth market drove them to further associate themselves with whatever the youth considered "cool." Along the way, the brands attempted to have their names associated with everything from movie stars and athletes to grassroots social movements. Nike, Inc. ... Pepsi Cola is a non-alcoholic carbonated beverage produced and manufactured by PepsiCo. ...

The book states that large multinational corporations consider the marketing of a brand name to be more important than the actual manufacture of products; this theme recurs in the book and helps explain the shift to production in Third World countries in such industries as clothing, footware, and computer hardware.

Also mentioned in this section are the various ways in which brands have muscled their presence into the school system, and how in doing so, they have pipelined advertisements into the schools, and have used their position to gather information about the students.

No Choice

In this section, Klein discusses how brands use their size and clout to limit the number of choices available to the public. Whether it be through Wal-Mart's colossal status or Starbucks' aggressive invasion of a region, the goal is the same. Each of the major brands wishes to become the dominant force in its respective field. Meanwhile, other corporations, such as Sony or Disney simply open their own chains of stores, preventing the competition from even putting their products on the shelves. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... For other meanings of the name Starbuck, see Starbuck. ... Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $66. ... Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ...

This section also discusses the way that corporations merge with one another in order to add to their ubiquity. On a more sinister note, it allows greater control over their image. ABC News, for instance, is allegedly under pressure not to air any stories that are overly critical of Disney. Other chains, such as Wal-Mart often threaten to pull various products off of their shelves, forcing manufacturers and publishers to comply with their demands. This might mean driving down manufacturing costs, or changing the artwork/content of things like magazines or albums, so they might better fit with Wal-Mart's image of family friendliness. ABC News logo ABC News Special Report ident, circa 2006 ABC News is a division of American television and radio network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ...

Also discussed is the way that corporations abuse copyright laws in order to silence anyone who might attempt to criticize their brand. The copyright symbol is used to give notice that a work is covered by copyright. ...

No Jobs

In this section, the book takes a darker tone, and looks at the way in which manufacturing jobs are being moved from local factories to foreign countries, and particularly to places known as export processing zones. Within these zones, working conditions are very dire, and labour laws are all but non-existent. In more honest times, such places would be called sweatshops. A sweatshop is a factory, where people work for a very small wage, producing products such as clothes, toys, shoes, and other consumer goods. ...

The book then shifts back to North America, where the lack of manufacturing jobs has led to an influx of work in the service sector, where most of the jobs are for minimum wage, and offer no benefits. The term McJob is introduced, defined as a job with low wages, poor hours, no benefits and high levels of stress. Meanwhile, the public is being sold the perception that these jobs are "temporary" employment for students and recent graduates, and therefore need not offer living wages or benefits. North America North America is a continent [1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... McJob is slang for a low-paying, low-prestige job that requires few skills and offers very little chance of intracompany advancement. ...

All of this is set against a backdrop of massive profits and wealth being produced within the corporate sector. The result is a new generation of employees who have come to resent the success of the companies they work for. This resentment, along with rising unemployment, labour abuses abroad, disregard for the environment and the ever increasing presence of advertising breeds a new disdain for corporations.

No Logo

The final section of the book discusses various movements that have sprung up during the nineties, aimed at fighting back against the corporations. These include Adbusters magazine and the culture jamming movement, as well as reclaim the streets, and the McLibel trial. Less radical protests are also discussed, such as the various movements aimed and putting an end to sweatshop labour. The nineties is a decade common to a number of centuries. ... Adbusters is a political magazine, founded by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz that is published in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada by the Media Foundation. ... Culture jamming is the act of transforming existing mass media to produce commentary about itself, using the original mediums communication method. ... Reclaim the Streets (RTS) is a collective with a shared ideal of community ownership of public spaces. ... The McLibel case is the nickname for an English court action filed by McDonalds Corporation against unemployed environmental activists Helen Steel and David Morris. ... Sweatshop is a pejorative term used to describe a manufacturing facility, usually a garment manufacturing facility, where working conditions are poor and workers are paid little. ...

The book concludes by arguing that globalization is not an abstract enemy, but a reality, and one that is, at best, morally indifferent, but can be used in order to organize protests and allow communications between different grassroots movements.

Criticism

No Logo is copyrighted by Klein and was published by a multinational corporation, leaving the author open to charges of hypocrisy^{[citation needed]}. However, there are future plans to put the book under a copyleft license. Additionally, companies have produced goods with a No Logo logo on them (other than her publications, Klein does not endorse nor profit from these products). A multinational corporation (or transnational corporation) (MNC/TNC) is a corporation or enterprise that manages production establishments or delivers services in at least two countries. ... The reversed c in a full circle is the copyleft symbol. ...

After the book's release, Klein was heavily criticized by the pro-market newspaper The Economist, leading to a broadcast debate with Klein and the magazine's writers, dubbed "No Logo vs. Pro Logo". Look up Market in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ...

The 2004 book The Rebel Sell (published as Nation of Rebels in the United States), was heavily critical of No Logo, sympathising with Klein's ideals but arguing that the forms of "rebellion" she celebrates are intrinsic to modern capitalism, and thus that their co-optation and branding by corporations is only to be expected. one of several front covers The Rebel Sell: Why the culture cant be jammed is the name of a popular non-fiction book written by Canadian authors Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter in 2004. ...

Some criticised the book for simplifying issues and conflating corporate malfeasance and systemic poverty in the third world with anarchism and identity politics in the first world^{[citation needed]}. However others (and Klein herself) noted that the book, though hardly dispassionate about its subject, is a summary of a varied and diverse movement at one period early in its development, not a single manifesto for change. For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ... Identity politics is the political activity of various social movements for self-determination. ...

Awards

The book won the following awards:

• The 2000 First Book Award from The Guardian
• The 2001 Canadian National Business Book Award
• The 2001 French Prix Médiations^[1]

For other uses, see Guardian. ...

Editions

Several imprints of No Logo exist, for example: ISBN 0-676-97130-X (hard cover first edition), ISBN 0-312-20343-8 (hardcover) and ISBN 0-312-27192-1 (paperback). Translations from the original English into several other languages have appeared. The subtitle, "Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies", was dropped in some later editions.

Video

Naomi Klein explains her ideas in the 2003 40-minute video No Logo - Brands, Globalization & Resistance, directed by Sut Jhally. Sut Jhally, discussing Tough Guise: Men, Violence and the Crisis in Masculinity at the Mens Project Collaborative, Amherst College in March 2004 Sut Jhally (born 29 May 1955) is a professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, regarded as one of the world’s leading cultural studies...

Influence in pop culture

• Members of the English rock group Radiohead have stated that the book was particularly influential to them during the making of their fourth album, Kid A (2000). The band recommended it to fans on their website, and considered calling the album "No Logo" for a time.^[2]

• Canadian metal band Inner Surge have also listed Klein's book as an influence on selected tracks from their album Signals Screaming.

• The book was referenced in Robert Muchamore's CHERUB: The Recruit. It was recommended to James Adams by Brian 'Bungle' Evans, and later by Ewart Asker.

• The book was referenced in Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson's How To Be A Canadian. The brothers mention that they think "the cover to Naomi Klein's book No Logo would make an excellent logo".

Radiohead are an English rock band. ... This article is about the Radiohead album. ... Inner Surge is a Canadian metalcore band from Calgary, Alberta. ... Robert Muchamore, The Author who has won many awards Books: The Recruit, Class A, maximum Security, Divine Madness, Man Vs Beast, The Fall And coming soon, Mad Dog he was born yesterday ... Ian Ferguson is a Canadian author and playwright. ... Will Ferguson is a Canadian writer and novelist who is best known for his humorous observations on Canadian history and culture. ...

References

The Nation (ISSN 0027-8378) is a weekly [1] U.S. periodical devoted to politics and culture, self-described as the flagship of the left. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• AdBusters
• Situationist International
• Cacophony Society
• Marketing
• Positioning (marketing)
• Brand management
• McJob
• Generation X
• Export processing zone
• Maquiladora
• Guy Debord
• The Big One (1996)
• The Corporation (2003)
• Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers (2003)
• The Rebel Sell: Why the culture can't be jammed (2004)
• Super Size Me (2004)
• PopCo (2004)
• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
• Thank You for Smoking (2006)

Adbusters is a political magazine, founded by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz that is published in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada by the Media Foundation. ... The Situationist International (SI) was a small group of international political and artistic agitators with roots in Marxism, Lettrism and the early 20th century European artistic and political avant-gardes. ... The Cacophony Society is “a randomly gathered network of free spirits united in the pursuit of experiences beyond the pale of mainstream society. ... For the magazine, see Marketing (magazine). ... A products position is how potential buyers see the product. ... The discipline of brand management was started at Procter & Gamble PLC as a result of a famous memo by Neil H. McElroy. ... McJob is slang for a low-paying, low-prestige job that requires few skills and offers very little chance of intracompany advancement. ... For other uses, see Generation X (disambiguation). ... An Export processing zone or EPZ eases tax and labor restrictions and their primary purpose is to generate export revenues in poor developing countries. ... A maquiladora or maquila is a factory that imports materials and equipment on a duty-free and tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing and then re-exports the assembled product, usually back to the originating country. ... Guy Ernest Debord (December 28, 1931, in Paris – November 30, 1994, in Champot) was a writer, film maker, hypergraphist and founding member of the groups Lettrist International and Situationist International (SI). ... The Big One is a movie filmed in 1996 -- and released in 1998 by Miramax Films -- by Michael Moore during his promotion tour around the United States for his book Downsize This!. Through the 47 towns he visits, Moore discovers and describes American economic failings and the fear of unemployment... The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film critical of the modern-day corporation, considering it as a class of person and evaluating its behaviour towards society and the world at large as a psychologist might evaluate an ordinary person. ... Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers is a 2003 Swedish documentary about consumerism and anti-consumerism, directed by Erik Gandini and Johan Söderberg. ... one of several front covers The Rebel Sell: Why the culture cant be jammed is the name of a popular non-fiction book written by Canadian authors Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter in 2004. ... Super Size Me is an Academy Award-nominated 2004 documentary film, directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. ... PopCo (2005) is a novel by British author Scarlett Thomas. ... Thank You for Smoking is a 2006, Golden Globe nominated film satire directed by Jason Reitman and produced by David O. Sacks. ...

External links

• Official website
• National Business Book Award - No Logo