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While enjoying a pre-Christmas dinner with friends in Spain, I realised how important my job is for humanity. One of my friends explained that curiously, Santa had already arrived at her friend’s house and her Christmas tree was already full of Gucci, Louise Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana paper bags. The funny thing is that when my friend said to her “wow, this year you have been such a good girl…” she replied, “oh they are empty…but they look nice, don’t they?”
Well, we might think that we are a more developed species, but the truth is that we still move for basic instincts; at least some more than others.
The truth is simple; brands that project power, make us feel powerful and power is something that as a human being, we all want. In some cases it is an unconscious process, but still, that is the reason why we are proud of wearing big logos on t-shirts, handbags, jewellery or even paper bags, so we can show to the world that we are powerful; perhaps even superior.
Think for a second, do you feel the same carrying a Tesco plastic bag as you do toting a branded bag from Selfridges Food Hall? Obviously not, and even if you are carrying more value in the Tesco’s bag, Selfridges branding can make your day that little bit more special.
Actually, at Selfridges they know the importance of branded bags and they have a different range, depending on how much you spend. So, for starters you will get a cartoon paper bag with yellow handles and branding in black from the Food Hall, a glossy yellow bag with black handles for other purchases and a glossy black bag with yellow handles if you are a top client. This way, branding remind us that no matter how much we fight for equality, social status will always be there…and if you are lucky enough to carry a black bag, you will feel and be perceived as a social star.
Feeling unique is what matters nowadays. Acquiring or wearing luxury items, even if it is a carry bag with content’s worth £3, that luxury branding helps individuals to establish a unique personal identity. This way, brands have become a way of self-realisation and identification as consumers move beyond mere consumption of product utility; they now consume the symbolic meaning the brands represent.
Brands only exist in our minds and it is just the intangible perception of it that is worth millions. But they make us feel confident, and beautiful and allow us to believe that we are enjoying a lifestyle that in some cases is just aspirational. And for that reason, and that reason alone, I will continue to carry my home- packed lunch to work in my glossy, yellow Selfridges bag and I will feel no shame.
Laura Roig Vericat
