The Intergenerational Sign Language of Branding

Sociologists observe that western youth are conditioned to recognizing the corporate import of the Golden Arches by the age of three. I'm afraid that, subjectively, the brand really is the reality, even for a mere seven-year-old:

Ian was describing "Barnes and Noble's"to me, and mentioned that they sell toy helicopters and candy. I told him that didn't sound like Barnes and Noble, considering that it's a book store, so he asked me something like "What's the one with a circle?" I had no idea what he meant, so, on a little scrap of paper, he drew two concentric circles with a fat dot in the middle. Instant recognition - Target!

(July 23, 2011)