30 Days of Handwritten Verse, day 28.
I used to wonder why people would ever pay a premium to wear clothes with conspicuously-placed logos. It didn’t make sense to me that the big name windbreaker made in a remote third world factory should sell for more than the no name windbreaker made in a similar setting (or, sometimes, even in the United States).
A long time ago, I developed a limited set of criteria that would lead me to wear a corporate logo on my clothing:
- It is the best value I could find for that particular item, and no comparable item could be found without a logo emblazoned on it (and the logo doesn’t otherwise offend my sensibilities).
- i.e., the Nike windbreaker in the clearance bin for a price that’s better than any similar quality alternative.
- The brand logo on the item is one I believe in.
- i.e., the logo of a company that does something I admire, such as manufacture close to home, or in a way that is particularly responsible — economically or ecologically.
- I’m being paid to display the logo.
- i.e., the logo of an employer, or any other such entity smart enough to utilize me for advertising purposes.
That’s my basic checklist before I’ll consent to becoming a human billboard. What’s yours?
analogimpulse.org 