Brand Love

Brand is a funny thing. Going into advertising and learning about the history, it made me want to rebel against brand loyalty even worse I just didn’t want to deal with them, period. Taking a three year ad course and working in the field I’ve noticed that I really like brands, I like the ones I chose and choose, the way they make me feel and socialize.

My first brand favorite was probably Pepsi when I was six, this is way before I even knew about brand and yet there I was… choosing Pepsi over Coke. Now it’s things like Guess Jeans, billabong zip-up sweaters, Zippo lighters, bic pens, yellow tail white wine, redbull energy drink… and the list goes on.

Why? What changed my mind? Well I realized with time that for quality you sometimes have to pay more and sometimes you have to take a chance trying it out before you judge it. The thrill of spending a great deal of money on a pair of jeans or music player when you never tried it out is great, but finding out that it better then you expected is priceless.

Brands will come and go, but if you want to start you favorite collection, my only advise is to pick an old one, cause it’s usually cause it’s dependable. Even if it’s not, you’ll learn why and perfect you favorite list.

Keith's History and Quest

Alexander Keith (October 5, 1795 – December 14, 1873) was a Canadian politician and brewmaster. He was mayor of the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, a Conservative member of the provincial legislature, and the founder of the Alexander Keith's brewing company. Keith was born in Halkirk, Caithness, Highland, Scotland, where he became a brewmaster. He immigrated to Canada in 1817, founded the Alexander Keith's brewing company in 1820, and developed a signature India Pale Ale, which is still popular today, especially in Nova Scotia. Many beer drinkers do not consider Alexander Keith's IPA a true India Pale Ale, and in fact consider it more like a lager than any ale at all. He served as mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia three times, and as a member of the Legislative Council for 30 years.
Throughout his career Keith was connected with several charitable and fraternal societies. He served as president of the North British Society from 1831 and as chief of the Highland Society from 1868 until his death. In 1838 he was connected with the Halifax Mechanics Library and in the early 1840s with the Nova Scotia Auxiliary Colonial Society. Keith was perhaps best known to the Halifax public as a leader of the freemasons. He became provincial grand master for the Maritimes under the English authority in 1840 and under the Scottish lodge in 1845. Following a reorganization of the various divisions in 1869, he became grand master of Nova Scotia.
Alexander Keith died in Halifax in 1873 and was buried at Camp Hill Cemetery across from the Halifax Public Gardens. His birthday is often marked by people visiting the grave and placing beer bottles and caps on it (or, less frequently, cards or flowers).

Alexander Keith’s Beer is now considered to some to be the oldest beer in North America. Today, the brewery is under the control of Labatt, a subsidiary of InBev, formerly Interbrew. The brewery also produces Oland Brewery beers, distributed in Eastern Canada. To this date there is only a single brewery making the eponymous beer.

When ordering in Canada, one simply asks for a Keith's.

The Adventures of Marlboro-Man

“I love smoking” is a line I just heard in a show I just started to watch called Mad Men. I do love smoking, it started hanging with the cool kids, but stayed cause of the smell, the look and attitude you sent out and received from elders and peers. Who better for an example then the Marlboro Man, even married non smoking wives want him.

Marlboro man, I think, can be compared to a superhero. This calm, relaxed man who starts his day saving the land with his brute strength, WOW! And he smokes! I mean come-on this is a character (now-a-days) that would be considered a superhero. I sometimes thought he could beat cancer with a whip in one hand and tug on his brimmed cowboy hat with the other. This guy even has his own Gotham in a sense called “Marlboro Country”, gathering cattle and enjoying a smooth cigarette.

With all these cheesy Hollywood character coming out with good guys and happy ending, it’s nice to see a man who send out a bad message and looks like he has more important things to do then care what you think.

Now that’s advertising… I’m going to ride my horse to Marlboro Country right now

*spark*

Same Old Macintosh

Who has a mac? “I do, I do!” you hear all the grown up kids yelling. Mac has worked hard on bringing the youth out of the masses.

I find it funny that as Microsoft was growing large, mac was never really heard of in regular conversation, always Internet explorer this and solitaire that. Bill Gates made a fortune and still is, but ever since the iPod came out the tables are quickly turning.

Those colourful one unit iMacs that came out were cool, but no one was gonna spend that much, even though they could do more, and then the iPod blow the world away, showing that for a little more you get more. I own a new iMac and I will never turn away, great monitor resolution, built in speaker, wireless internet, ONE PLUG! Now that people started realizing this and actually buying them all of a sudden a designer like in kindergarten was born in all of us.

What I really like is that not only did they stay who they were, but they also made you feel special and important being in this gang, like you are all against the man or something ya know? If you have a mac you do.

What genius positioning, they make you feel cool even when no one else thinks that you are cause your using a mac.

Never change being your self

Mr. Wayfarer

I own a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarer and for anyone who knows what those are would all agree that they are the coolest glasses ever designed.

I picture myself different when I were them versus when I don’t, and to be bluntly honest I feel cooler wearing them, which is why I were them at night. I sometimes picture the sunglasses being a completely different person and it makes me think what kind of personality he would have.

I could totally see him being like Fonz from Happy Days, kind of. He looks the part and sometimes acts the part but is a very high society business type. He is very successful and likes to show it. When he walks out into the world he expects to be noticed, but he doesn’t go crazy, he keeps it cool and calm, very subtle like. He wears a plaint looking suit at first glance, but holds a strong brand name and fine detail. He’s 45 but still keeps a cool and hip lifestyle, younger teens think he is “dope” and even he partakes with some of them. He is married, but lives the life a a 50’s mad man. Enjoys fine dining and fast cars, even if he goes broke and loses everything he will always show his best and never loose his cool.

Wow, What a cool guy. When I think of this man named Ray Ban Wayfarer I think there is hope for success in this world with him on my side.

Man Pants

Jeans are a very interesting pair of pants. All across history you see them. It’s funny to think that this was a garment that prisoners received in prison before everyone thought they were cool.



When I was younger I was forced to wear all sorts of pants that were made from different materials, my least favorite was corduroys, but by the time I was finishing high school jeans were one of the things that survived the filtering of my adolescents. My years growing up becoming a man I started creating my own taste, and along the way I have come close to certain brands, and I have found my jean brand.



Guess jeans grabbed my attention from advertising mostly, ok Anna Nicole Smith was the “who “grabbed” attention. Guess Jeans used black and white photographs of Anna in jeans and sometime nothing else, well noone said becoming a man was going to be easy. I leaned towards a guess store randomly when I saw a poster of Ms. Smith in a window. I found a pair of jeans on a sales rack and didn’t even try them on, grabbed some other stuff but they are not important other then the fact they are from guess. From my first time putting them on till the present I have never been so loyal to a pair of jeans.



Over these eye opening years I’ve bought pretty much all my jeans from there and that first pair that I picked up I wear the most. I think they’re all made well, has a great comfortable feel, like when you put em on the first time and they feel like you worn them all your life. My father was always a Levis guy and I noticed that growing up, and I kinda felt I should have one as well, and hitting manhood I have… GUESS JEANS!