No logo / druk 1

This book is about marketing meets public relations meets political science. In other words Corporate Power. Something I hadn't adequately considered. It's published in 2000 so I'd really be interested in an update or 2nd edition that was more current. Even though dated, this book will enjoy a privileged position on my book shelves.

Naomi Klein sketches perfectly the major shift in corporate strategy today: transnational companies are not interested in production anymore, only in branding: products are made in factories, brands in the mind. Branding creates big margins, production in home countries meager earnings.

This strategy causes monstrous layoffs in the First World and creates EPZ (Export Processing Zones) in the Third World.

In the First world, corporations transformed themselves in `engines of wealth growth' for their shareholders, instead of `engines of job growth'. `CEO's of the 30 companies with the largest announced layoffs saw their total compensation increase by 67%.'

The jobs they need are predominantly outsourced, or are McJobs (no `adult wages') and temporary stop-jobs.

The First World stirs fierce competition between Third World countries in order to get rock-bottom prices for their `branded' products, creating colossal margins in the home countries.

Wages in EPZs are so low that most of the money is spent on shared dorm rooms and basic food. Workers cannot afford the consumer goods they produce.

Another aspect of our branded world is the sheer size of the (trans)national corporations created by relentless mergers and acquisitions. Their size permits them to decide what items (also magazines, DVDs) should be stocked in a store, in other words, they create a new kind of censorship.

Big mergers in the media landscape allow conglomerates to produce their own news and in this sense jeopardize basic civil liberties.

While Naomi Klein's analysis of our consumer planet is very revealing, the remedies she proposes are rather innocent, epidermic, symptom healing or too general: ad and brand busting, radical ecology (Reclaim the Streets), anti-globalization and anti-corporate mass protests, boycott, building greater critical social consciousness. Individual actions like attacking in court (Shell in Nigeria), revealing Nike's sweatshops or denouncing McDonald's food are ultimately not more than temporary needle pricks in elephant skins.

What the world needs is a global vision, which we can find in the works of Joseph Stiglitz or (for a view from the South) Walden Bello.

Highly recommended.

I found this book to be very interesting, and disturbing. Klein is certainly a Leftist, and generally as a conservative I would dispute much of her world-view but with the first half of her book she is on to something. I believe that the second half is less successful, and I do not share her idealization of graffiti artists and anti-global activists, but overall her book is a provacative and important one. Read and beware.
I would like to respond to an earlier reviewer's comments, which many of my friends have directed me to when I told them of the book. Tristan from Australia finds fault with a graph in her book (not indexed for inflation) and then sets to beaking her over the head with it. I think he misses much of the point of her book - even if her graph is off.
There is no question based on anecdotal evidence alone that advertising and the pervasiveness of "branded" space has increased. Look at modern sports stadiums, say the NFL - they're all named after corporations. The athletes at "FedEx Field" are all wearing brands that the team has negotiated (and been paid large sums to wear) - and they can be fined if they aren't wearing a "Starter brand" cap when they sit on the bench, etc. They then sit down and drink a Gatorade, while they watch the Coca-cola sponsored half-time show featuring Michael Jackson, Britney Spears or whoever the company believes they can best get to flog their product. The highlights from the first half will be then shown on the X-brand half-time show, and then recreated using graphics from EA Sports John Madden game. You could avoid all this and go to a movie, but first you'll have to sit through advertisements before the movie - and not just for upcoming movies anymore. First you'll be shushed by Halley Epsenberger while she's cramming Pepsi down your throat - all this after you spent $9.50 to be a captive audience for commercials - at least when you watch basic TV the excuse that the advertising is paying for the programs make sense, but this? And then you can be clever and see how many products have been placed in the movie. If it's James Bond you can see him wearing X-brand watch, drive his BMW, and polish it off with some Tanqueray Gin - not because smooth sophisticates drink it, but because Tanqueray paid the most for it.
As for her other points - she goes into great depth about how we're becoming fungible goods as workers. An example I remember from the book is that Microsoft has a core of permanent employees and true they do make good money, but half of their work is done by temps. And to ensure that temps don't try and claim anything as basic as health coverage (what would they be thinking?) they're required to be laid off for a 30 day period every year so that no one classifies them as full time workers. Walmart does get to keep prices low as the Australian writer suggested, but unlike prior employers who believed they had a responsibility to take care of their workers - e.g. Ford wanted every worker to be able to afford a Ford - Walmart doesn't care whether it's employees can afford to shop their or not. As I know from having done some work for them they're all about keeping employees employed at under 28 hours a week - again so they can keep from having to pay any benefits. Great you say - get another job, but others such as Starbucks have caught on to that and screw their employees similarly. Sure you work 30 hours a week, but the schedule is such that you can't realistically get a job to fill in the time you're not working for them, plus you get to be on unpaid call (I guess for a coffee emergency), and in typical fashion they've even done computerized studies on each employee's productivity. They know each stores peak hours, how many customers x-employee typically serves, etc. - so they can schedule the employees only for the most cost-effective time. On one hand this sounds fair, but on the other - it's completely shafting the employee - especially those that treat it as their "real" job. Given that we're becoming a service based economy, this is getting to be a larger and larger part of the public.
So the Australian guy can carp all he wants about graphs, and he can avoid the point of her argument - which is that advertising has gotten more sophisticated, and insidious - all to help companies, which are shedding any "brick and mortar" connections to become brands and images rather than production (an interesting example - Levis - which no longer owns a single factory, but has outsourced all of its production to third-world factories - which it is not responsible for, and which it can leverage to provide even cheaper and cheaper products - damn the sweatshop employees). I hope he and others are comforted when their jobs disappear and he goes to stand in line at the Hillfiger sponsored Employment office.

This book exposes the world of corporate branding. It really opened my eyes to the domainating power that these large corporations have over the world. My only complaint about this book, is it could be a little long winded at times. It held my attention, but it is just so long! It felt like I was holding a text book in my lap! Over all I recommend it. It is packed full of lots of information that is all backed up by facts. My favorite part of the book is how it all seems to tie in with the WTO and NAFTA. If you are interested in learning why so many people are against these organizations this is a good book to start with.

That this book was so clear and stunning, but didn't beat me over the head with grief. I was travelling when I read No Logo, and was pleased to include it my carefully selected items. I'd sit in the tube and try to ESP my new "groundbreaking" knowledge to people across the way, glaring at their foreheads ("Sweet Jesus - don't you know how ironic it is that you're wearing Reebok, Adidas and Nike all at once?" "Starbucks is the DEVILLLLLLLLLLL"). Londoners have got ignoring down to a very fine art and I was an ameture at brain penetration in peak hour public transport.
But its out there, and that's a comfort. My exposure to human rights movements had been broad and vague - Klein's clear cases, vocalised intentions and linking action across the globe brought relief to the fear that there's a few token do-gooders in obscure locations. I have, in the past, thought of the issues relating to corporate management of the frontline workers, and instantly felt overwhelmed and exhasperated by the miriad of issues involved - all of them invincible. But all those threads became clear and managable from Klein's text: uncomplicated, pedestrian, accessable.
The anger I felt while I read this book translated to enthusiasm. I'd hunt for conversational windows ("Is anyone sick of Michael Jackson?" "Speaking of North America, I've jsut read this book that talks about urban comunities in Canada...") and learn to identify that face of heard-it-before-not-listening-now. And now I'm just happy its popular, which is a good start. Yes, to us exposed types, it does seem small, but don't forget there are some awfully thick folk out there, and them simply HAVING ANY IDEA of what No logo is about is so much better than the alternative.

A tremendous amount of research and analysis has gone into this informative study of the dark secrets behind the brands that dominate our lives in Western society. The neglect and deliberate lack of social responsibility, both alarming and disturbing, that has become a central element to the maufacturing and business activities of some of the world's largest and most recognizeable brand names is staggering. How can these self-proclaimed leaders of our economy be so callous? Klein details their motivation and the evolution of such nefarious practices, as well as the collusion of corrupt and greedy local authorities in developing nations, which serve to sustain and propogate such injustice. On the flip side, Klein offers hope through her exaustive examination of the counter-movements that have to a degree succeeded in keeping the rampant exploitation of the afore-mentioned multinationals in check and on their toes. The book is written in an open and accessible tone, with down-to-earth interpretations of the patterns of disdain for labourers and their rights as well as for the environment and our planet's dimishing natural resources, all in an unrelenting quest to reinforce the brand name and dominate the market share. I for one will never look at brand logos such as the Nike swoosh, the same again. For that matter, thanks to this important and timely book, I will carefully monitor such questions as freedom of expression and the control that such corporations as Wal-Mart have on the content of what we as consumers have access to.

I work in the advertising/marketing industry, and, as such, began NO LOGO with a degree of salt: after all...I make my living writing and producing commercials for these so-called "evil" brands...the branding of America has reformed Times Square, promoted sports, and has been a part of our (formerly) strong economy.
What NO LOGO does (and does it with genius) is to reveal the truth beneath the logos...both the obvious truths (that corporations spend more money on image development than product development...overseas sweatshops have replaced American manufacturing) and those truths that are hard to find beneath the surface (that corporations are no longer responsible for their production AT ALL...everything is outsourced...that by eliminating the blue collar US jobs and replacing them with "permatemp" positions at retail outlets, brands/corporations have increased that proverbial gap between the haves and the have nots.)
Most importantly, NO LOGO discusses what is a serious issue affecting nearly every major metropolis in the United States today: the loss of non-branded public space. For example: if Yankee Stadium became Nissan Stadium, New York would be outraged...and yet, across the US, that branding of space is going on in droves...from the American Airlines Arena and the National Car Rental Center in South Florida...to "Busch Boulevard" in Virginia.
In short, NO LOGO changed my life. It certainly changed my career and where I choose to work. And what I choose to buy (although nearly EVERYTHING is made in a sweatshop.) Read it today.

The question: Exactly what product does Tommy Hilfiger make?
The answer: Nothing at all.
In fact, when you buy Tommy jeans, shoes, and sunglasses you are specifically purchasing the right to wear the advertisement. This concept of branding is the central issue of Naomi Klein's NO LOGO.
Klein is virtually obsessed with the pervasiveness of branding and also its inherent preposterousness. This obsession is the driving force behind NO LOGO. This book pulls the reader in, at the same time convincing and forcing him or her to think of the reasons for making brand purchases and also think of the undeserved money it makes for entirely marketing-based corporations that make no products.
Until I read NO LOGO I had no idea of the magnitude of branding and the marketing industry created to push it. I was shocked to read that this was the real reason school kids have been beaten, even killed for their shoes. Branding denotes status, and there are entire corporations looking to sell this way. Looking to sell this way to children, with utter disregard for the physical (and self-esteem) dangers this poses. Think about Mattel's Barbie brand. Everything Barbie...from dolls to drapes to clothing. Branding has become the ultimate in conspicuous AND vicarious consumption.
Each chapter begins with a graphic depiction of some form of branding, and this is very helpful to get Klein's message across. The ads that are routine in everyday life seem grotesque and manipulative in this book - and that is Klein's intent. Think differently, think deeper, she seems to urge.
I am old enough to remember a time when characters on television and in movies drank SODA and not PEPSI. I thought (and still do believe) that the reason for SODA was to make people more able to relate to the character...one would have no way of knowing how much Character X paid for his SODA. Today, however, it is more important in society to strive to become as affluent as someone else by paying extra for a name brand. "Drink Pepsi, and you will be as cool as this beautiful actor."
I would definitely recommend NO LOGO for anyone interested in consumerism, sociology, the environment, or any combination of the three. It is quite long and repetitive, but a real eye-opener as far as the extent of branding. We, as Americans, often don't even think about such things consciously, but we should.

A fantastically well documented account of the evolution of the corporate ideas which permeate so much of our existence. Klein's arguments are piercing in their clarity. If nothing else, she constantly begs us to consider the horrific human cost of our brand-saturated existence. "A delusion that lasts for decades is not a delusion. It's an institution." I think Bruce Sterling said that, seems pretty apt for this book.

as an environmentalist, i could see that big corporations were behind much of the political pressure to overexploit our natural resources. as a friend of people interested in international human rights and labor law, i knew that big business was somehow involved. however, it was not until i read naomi klein's "no logo" that i understood how these disparate movements have found a common enemy, thus binding them together in their battle against evil.
overdramatic? perhaps. but "no logo" is shockingly level-headed. this is not a melodrama like "fast food nation", but a carefully researched and well-constructed book about how big corporations have taken away our public spaces and public voices. the writing is clear and klein's story carries its momentum all the way to the bibliography. is there finger pointing? you bet. but klein goes beyond the usual hand-wringing theatrics, and actually documents campaigns that have succeeded in reforming some unethical business practices.
if you're a nader fan, then this good citizenship stuff is old hat. but even if you thought that bush stole the show from pat buchanan, you should read this book. it appeals to our common humanity and offers a dose of reality prozac to pull us out of the collective helplessness.

Unlike some of the people who rated this book with 1 or 2 stars (and obviously hated it), I've actually read it, and I'm rating it 5 out of 5. I've read claims on this website that the book was "poorly researched," or "lacking in logic." Ms. Klein "doesn't understand arithmetic." And other unsupportable statements.

The book is EXTREMELY well researched, which is documented in the endnotes. Klein's conclusions DO follow from her analysis, and in many cases the conclusions she cites are from other sources (equally well researched, analyzed, and usually accredited). The claim that this is not so comes across as a deliberate lie. And it may BE a deliberate lie. Lying on websites (in the product review section) is a standard "marketing" technique.

I think this book, along with the textbook for my graduate marketing class, are important for understanding the mindset behind much of late capitalism. (BTW - I'm not a 25 yr old graduate student -- I'm a 51 yr old professor with two advanced degrees and a lot of real world experience.) We are all being managed, marketed, exploited, and will ultimately be abandoned by a ruthless ruling class that doesn't give a damn about us. Their methods are very advanced, and frighteningly effective (informed by 100 years of quantitative social science), and it is essential that the rest of us understand what's being done if we ever hope to undo it.

Read this book, listen to Alternative Radio and DemocracyNow!, and fight the ruling class.

As I found quotations from this book and plenty references thereto in many articles and works of my favourite writers, my expectations could be hardly higher when I opened it and started to read it. Couple of hundred pages later I felt little bit misled by another advertising campaign, the machinery so heavily criticised by Ms. Klein. While attacking the product propaganda and the dictate of the marketing departments over the content and product producers, she learned some tricks. The cover of the book is just cute (you all know this word itself and cute things sell well in shopping malls), then the fact that she shortened her name (it just looks better, has completely different usage ratio in electronic media and the magic of Ronald Reagan name - surname consonance applies, right?) and finally maybe sometimes unscrupulous parasitism on McDonald trademark (and easy-picking of the same target, with weak, very weak justification for pointing the finger on this company too often) in visual material the book features.
So, the packaging is great and all subliminal messages are delivered to the customer on a tested silver of plate, it works perfectly, but then the content is unfortunately of poor quality. No Logo is like any other logo, just the flashy life style symbol with the very little behind it. First, Ms. Klein did very poor research. We learn she was on one or two study tours and she lives her life in capitalism which (probably) gives her enough competence in the matter, so no need for time-consuming collection of facts and figures with higher information value. Second, her book just gives impression she keeps describing two or three anti-McDonald campaigns and anti-consumerism fight highlights and that is all - I felt like she recycles herself and her ideas in every 50 pages, which itself is quite typical for modern marketing and post-modern art, by the way. Third, she is discovering the charted parts of the globe and gives very few hints how to change the world and the way it works. I know we shall think and do it for ourselves, but it would be nice to see that she can see some light at the end of a tunnel after all that paper used for printing of her opus anti-magnum.
To sum it up, this book is sui generis light non-fiction for the environment and anti-global fighters travelling from Berlin to Genova for another street fight against police = G8 and the rich of the world. By the time they will reach the spot, they will be done with the book and equipped with new intellectual ammo. In no need to re-read it, they throw the book into the dustbin to free their hands to carry stones for trashing the Benetton shop-windows there.
To sum it up for good, this book is unfortunately not a good pick for those who think twice (not globally) before acting locally. Unfortunately...

This book is extremely persuasive - Klein never actually says that any form of advertising is evil per se, does she? She merely points out the near-homogeny in which we live. No problem. The book is easily readable (ish) and thought-provoking (although a little repetitive in places). The main thing I took from it was that we shouldn't be taken in by the glitz of Nike, Gap - the practices they indulge in may make economic sense, but they are still WRONG, and we should think twice before turning ourselves into walking adverts for these unethical companies. It's not a case of being "brainwashed", merely seeing the other side of the coin, and the negative effects of globalisation. Sure, it may help the lucky few, for for many, it has had a catastrophic effects on their lives. This book is important and I would urge anyone with a conscience or an interest in human rights, capitalism etc., to read it.

Naomi Klein's well-meaning, well-researched overview of corporate control reads well enough but follows the usual trappings of idealistic academic research. The system is flawed but her call to action is never fully realized outside of a Romantic notion that Marcos-like figures will rage against their respective machines. Branding spans across all aspects of life from art to religion to sex and books like Klein's help to bring to light the trappings of seductive market campaigns.
Klein, however fails to show an economic model, contemporary or otherwise that is neither corrupt nor flawed. The book fails to feature any realistic goals about re-shaping culture that circumvent violence, destruction, and inevitably useless juvenile antics. (WTO Seattle riots were a long-deflated 'victory' for whom? The powers that be who can now easily justify 'protest zones' or the well-meaning far left activists who feel they have won some sort of battle?)
A lofty goal such as this needs research like hers but with more consise arguements.

Irritatingly anecdotal and blithely schematic, Klein's casually researched litany of apparent bombshells on global capitalism boils down to little more than a string of obvious facts for anyone with a modicum of economic sense: unregulated markets tend towards monopoly; producers minimize labour costs to maximize profit; advertisers devise increasingly insidious means of promoting products. Really?! You don't say! Ironically, Klein is most interesting when unconvincingly defending her generation's past inaction on globalization along the lines of, "Sorry, but we were busy decrying other things." A legitimate point and a surprising confession, but it's also a telling one: what 'thing' will it be next year? In America's repetitive cycle of issue activism, when anti-globalization's gloss inevitably fades Asian wage slaves and their heartless masters will no doubt be quickly forgotten like so many Ethiopian famine victims or battered baby seals. Klein's rousing call to arms might be significant if it actually changed consumer behaviour - if it not only gave us pause the next time we slipped on a pair of Nikes or strolled into Starbucks, but actually curtailed the purchase. But it won't do that, for the simple reason that the almost hysterical enthusiasm with which this book has been received (check the reviews) is fueled by precisely the same kind of mania, the same kind of look-at-me populist grandstanding, that has us wearing sports shoes as fashion items and drinking bad coffee in the first place: we somehow think it's cool.

The author traces the rise of the multinational brand focused corporation and its impact on society. There is no escaping brands and commercial speech, our public spaces and our very minds are held captive by the forces of ubiquitous branding and advertising. At the same time they seek to invade every mental nook and cranny the mega corporations have severed their ties to local communities as employers and have spun a web that chases after cheap labor around the globe. The author shows powerfully how these tensions culminated in the backlash against the brands, as exemplified in the global campaign against Nike and others that employ sweatshop labor. The blueprint for resistance whether through protest, reclaiming public space or "culture jamming" and "ad busting" is laid out for the reader. The quality of the reasoning, backed up by thoroughly researched facts, and expressed with great clarity make this book a MUST READ. It should come with a warning label that you won't want to put it down, except maybe to go yell back at the ads that surround you.

"What haunts me," confesses 29 year-old Canadian journalist Naomi Klein, " is a deep craving for release, escape, some kind of open-ended freedom." It is this sense of claustrophobia and impulse for liberation , in a culture where physical and mental space has been overrun by the voracious marketing frenzies of brand-name corporations that, No Logo, perhaps the first serious statement of the Seattle generation, expresses.
Klein's calm journalistic irony is a touchstone of sanity through the grotesque absurdities of the "new branded world" - the American schoolchildren who design Burger King adverts in lessons and eat lunch sponsored by Disney, the "street snitches" employed to inform on their friend's new clothing tastes for desperate corporate `cool hunters' in some horribly comic hybrid of Stasi-style capitalism, through to the pinnacle of corporate transcendence; human branding, in the form of the ubiquitous Nike swoosh has now become the most sought after symbol in American tatto parlours. "I wake up in the morning and look down at the symbol. It reminds me what I have to do, which is `Just Do It,'" says one 24 year old internet entrepreneur with a swooshed navel.
Yet, according to Klein, it is the emotionally intense relationships with consumers generated by lifestyle brands like Nike and Tommy Hilfiger that has sparked visceral anti-capitalism of the Seattle generation. Suffocated as consumers, many members of the cherished youth demographic have been discarded as workers, needed only as service sector temp fodder. Opinion polls in the US show that younger people have adopted `survivalist' attitudes anathema to older generations. Yet just as this can ingrain a desire to be the next Bill Gates, it can also instil a militant dissonance with the values of corporate capitalism. As Klein points out, far from selling out, a significant proportion of the younger generation has simply not bought in. Disdained by the economy, this generation has been quite prepared to look along the webs spun by the global brands to the sweatshops of Indonesia and China, to the institutions which facilitate corporate dominance, and to target corporations directly as never before.
"You might not see things on the surface yet but underground, it's already on fire," says Indonesian writer, YB Mangunwijaya, at the beginning of No Logo. No Logo is a classic statement of the existential undercurrents of our age, the inchoate strands of a new resistance. Whether they can be forged into a coherent alternative remains to be seen.

Naomi Klein covers every aspect having to do with marketing, advertising, brand names and production of all of these. Her points about these subjects are clearly thought out and researched. She claims that more and more space is being branded, even space that is traditionally thought to be "free", such as public squares. Advertising is even pervading places where free speech should be primary, such as grade schools and universities. Marketing is no longer about selling a product, but selling a brand name. This brand name is then associated with certain desirable characteristics that are translated onto all products. This makes is possible to market such diverse "commodities" such as public space, concerts, cloths, people and furniture under one brand name. Since the corporations are increasing larger and more encompassing they yield so much power that they limit what products are available and where they can be purchased. This means that the corporations decide what news stories we see and what is available to rent in the video store. Also they make sure that which video store we go to and which television channel we watch. Since there is such a demand for increased brand awareness corporations are willing to cut costs anywhere they can to increase the scope and size of their brand. They must do this while slashing costs at the same time. This means that factories are moved out of areas that demand decent working conditions in favor of less stringent environmental restrictions and cheaper more compliant labor is the norm. This also means less secure full times jobs and more temp jobs, part time jobs and outsourcing. All of these factors combined create a culture of disenchantment against the big brands. The backlash ranges from the demand for better salaries and benefits, to the exposure of questionable business practices, and to the lack of acceptance for advertisements permeating all parts of life. The techniques used to fight back are picketing, protesting, altering of billboards, educating the public about what keeps the corporations profitable and the workers poor, and developing of anti-ad campaigns.
Klein gives a detailed and thoroughly researched report of brand names, the corporations behind them and the ads that promote them. She provides over detailed reporting on the negative side of the advertising business and business practices, but provides a selective view of the other side of the coin. Despite this bias her points are well articulated and highly believable. She is obviously in love with the grassroots campaigns against the large corporations and adores the brave individuals who go up against these giants. This book is long and somewhat tedious, but provides a great background for any activist looking for motivation in a cause that seems to be larger than life. With an enemy with bottomless resources that seems almost unbeatable motivation is a necessity. She sites the publication of No Logo as proof that we do not have to be passive consumers of ads and brands. It is at least a good place to get informed of the branded world around us.

Whether you're a high schooler just taking interest in the plight of today's Multinational Corporations, or a member of the black-bloc fighting the front lines in Quebec City, this book is a must read. Klein takes aim at the brand phenomenon by dividing her book into four effective parts; NO SPACE, NO CHOICE, NO JOBS, and NO LOGO, going deep into the brief, yet storied history of the brand phenomenon, telling us why "superbrand" corporations dominate our economy today. Klein has basically taken everything you need to know about the anti-corporate movement, sprinkled it with some personal experience and great writing style, and has jammed it into one book that needs to be read by anyone even slightly concerned with the growing dominance of today's Multinational Corporations. While the book is quite lengthy and tends to get quite extensive in terms of detail, her anecdotal use is magnificent. The use of superbrand corporations in those anecdotes, such as McDonalds, Wal-Mart and Nike will keep the average reader interested, instead of the theory x/theory y business which I tend to find quite tedious to read. It will be well worth it to invest your time in reading this book.

Over the past few years, branding has become a huge phenomenon. And it hasn't just occurred in the United States. Branding has scaled the globe and is found almost everywhere in the world. Why is this? In the book, No Logo, Naomi Klein searches for these answers. Starting in the late 80's, management theorists developed an idea that would change the concept of products forever. Instead of just producing products, multi-national corporations would primarily produce brands which were images meant to conjure up feelings and sentiments. In order to do that, corporations needed to find ways to sell their products to consumers. By increasing expenditure in advertising and inventing eye-catching slogans and pictures, people were more likely to buy these consumer goods. This formula proved very successful and has only gotten better for corporations.
However, as corporations merge together, they often become too strong and powerful. When this happens, it seems that no one can stop them. Money is of prime concern which means that they will do anything to stay at the top. They don't care about exploiting workers of 3rd World countries or even their employees at home; all they care about is making a profit. But it's not just about making billions of dollars that worries people. As Naomi Klein states, "this corporation obsession with brand identity is waging a war on public and individual space: on public institutions such as schools, on youthful identities, on the concept of nationality, and on the possibilities for unmarketed space" (Klein, p.5).
I really enjoyed Naomi Klein's book for several reasons. It is clear that she put a lot of time and effort into writing this book. I learned a great deal about the real world of advertising and marketing and how corporations have tried to incorporate brands as not just products but a way of life. So far they have been hugely successful. With her use of examples, she shows how brands have taken over peoples' lives. Not only are people consumers of products, they are constantly bombarded with colorful images and brand names wherever they go. And in an attempt to expand and get bigger, corporations are shutting down individual businesses around the country. As a result, people are forced to buy from these corporations and their brands.
People working for these huge corporations are also getting paid less. As workers are becoming poorer, the people at the top of these corporations are becoming filthy rich. It is a pretty sad world we live in. However, I have to admit that a good ad makes a product more appealing. I also can't deny that I have been tempted to buy brand products because they are well-known. But in order for corporations to lose their power and influence over consumers, people must take action. I suggest that reading No Logo is a good start.

No Logo is a sobering report on the current state of globalization and it's potential future impact. The nature of big business is ruthlessly criticized throughout (and rightly so), but is accomplished in such a mature and intelligent way that by the end of the book I was ready to participate in my first anti-globalization rally.
A must-have book for those seeking to understand this current phenomenon and how this process is unfolding for millions around the world.
A call to caution and economic reform, No Logo deserves a read by intelligent, thoughtful individuals concerned about the nature of society and culture at large.

This book changed the way I think about my environment. I notice every single billboards, and advertisements now. It even gave me the urge to deface some big chain conglomerates that put my favorite bookstores and record stores out of business. This book is quite insightful, especially with the way the chapters are laid out. It walks the reader through the process of advertisements, buying, as well as the day in the life of garment/shoe workers. It made me aware about the impact of every single purchases I make, and the ripple effect it creates. This ranks among the most important books I've ever read.

When I shop I deliberatly look for clothes that do not have logos on them. I don't like to feel as if I am part of a club or a walking ad for a company. So I don't mind that Klein wrote a book that lets me know many other people are like me, delving into some of the reasons why brands and logos are out there.
I wonder if many people buy things because they are cool brands, made cool by good persuasive branding and advertising, or because they can tell they are good clothes? I wonder if people buy stuff with logos on it because the companies are so dead set on plastering everything that the shopper is given little choice.
The true (or a truer) definition of choice is one of the issues at the root of this whole discussion, I think. Some reviewers here say we choose stuff from companies we like, and that makes everything okay--the morality of the market, laissez-faire or whatever. But you don't have to look too hard at the stores or your wardrobe to see how limited the choices really are and how boringly repetitive the whole thing is, season to season. And then you might successfully extrapolate that state of affairs to many other things in modern American life.
Then, on a more philosophical level, yes, we have the world's best consumer choice, but that choice is ultimately incredibly limited--limited to what to buy.
The other argument against letting the brands be is that our consumer society is friggin' ugly, it doesn't just mess up nature and ozone, but also the way our country looks, riddled as it is with ugly strip malls and shopping centers and other shoddy looking buildings thrown up as quickly as possible to cash in on growth, and readily abandoned once that growth moves on. We are nation of nomads, but we are a hell of a lot messier than our counterparts in other parts of the world, who are smart enough to use tents.
The argument that consumers choose what they want and a "divine hand" within the system itself makes everything come out alright is incredibly irrational but unfortunately very effective on the street. Common sense says that people buy what they like and that is okay. Common sense also makes us feel the fool when we see hours of wasted labor and tons on needlessly used materials as integral to our system, which is ridiculously full of redundancy in production. Corporations spout off about synergies, downsizing and efficiencies while competing for my tennis shoe dollar, and in so doing make a gazillion more tennis shoes than any of us needs. Check your closets.
Common sense, and bald naked vision tell us what is happening on a systemic level when we see new land fills ballooning near affluent areas of development and growth. America would be better served if Americans thought about the ramifications of their behavior beyond the limited "purchase event" mentality of some of the reviewers here.
The status quo is crumbling. There's nothing wrong with looking to other ways of organizing the world. Klein at least is on the old bandwagon

Basically the book discussing the true history of brand development and discusses where we are headed. It doesn't look to dwell on the entire history of marketing and branding of products but it does tell us where we are going and I think that is the books most important point.
There are a number of companies that have created a brand but make nothing, they are trying to slap a label on products made in third world countries in order to create a whole lifestyle for those in the western world. I think Companies that do that are pretty shallow.
Clearly brands are becoming lifestyles and before you know it our whole lives will be branded. The book explores this fact and also explores the movements that are underway to act against branding.
I know I can't put this as eloquently as others but to anyone interested in reading this book for whatever reason I can only highly recommend it. I feel more informed about how branding has developed and now works and I feel I understand the issues at work that will effect every part of our lifestyles and cultures.
Anyone interested in Globalisation, Ethics and social issues will benefit from reading this insightful book.
The only negative thing I can find is the fact that the book tends to be a little repetitive but this is a minor flaw.

Klein's book is very well researched. NO LOGO proposes that "LOGO consumer culture" is not a benign, unbiased social environment in which consumers buy freely what they value, based on their own ideas. People are influenced by the media, like it or not. Klein proposes that because we are so involved in buying/selling/accumulating/ and defining ourselves based on brand names and products (and all the feelings/values that come along with them), that we overlook the human cost economically and socially. Her anger at this passive/aggressive social structure is well founded, in my opinion. NO LOGO is trying to focus on observable consequences of a LOGO based culture. I see them everyday in my work so I found her book very engaging.
I teach middle school and see daily the effects of an advertising-saturated cultural environment. I see students whose cultural experience is defined by what they see on TV, what commercials (which would include music videos) advertise and make attractive. Many parents work long hours, so kids are left to define for themselves who they are and how their culture/society works. As NO LOGO points out, it is that advertising at so-called "tweeners" that has kids (girls specifically) 8,9, and 10 years old dressing like they are in high school. This reprehensable sexualization of todays children is directly the responsibility of advertisers on television and marketers of music. It is also a grim comment about many of today's parents that they allow their children to dress and behave in these ways. But, because of this sexy, our product = beauty/happiness media world, it is extremely difficult not to give in. The resonsbility for what goes out on the airwaves is primarily the advertisers/corporate responsibility, as well as the parents, but not the other way around.
NO LOGO asks us to recognize the consequences of perpetuating an "everything can be bought" society. Kids are learners, not definers of their world. Kids learn what the adult world teaches them. As children's minds are sold to the highest bidder, the stakes of this delusion grow more grave. Naomi Klein would probably agree that corporations are not all inherently evil or destructive. It's a matter of scale. Klein asks that we all hold corporations accountable for their actions. It is hardly a debatable point. I applaude Klein's work trying to raise consciousness of what the real consequences of a LOGO culture are.

This book is well written and filled with lots of examples to prove Naomi's main point which is simply this: since the mid 80's the world's corporations realized that the logo/brand was the most important component of the corporate body. Everything else was a cost to be ruthlessly rendered efficient by downsizing, outsourcing, etc. She describes the Corporate growth strategies and their execution as if they were battle campaigns. I like books like this that help separate stimulus from the response, the symptoms from the disease.
To some extent this book explains: -the mind games in play as ad campaigns -the move to global scale business processes and some of the unforeseen effects of the move to global scales of operation. -the incredible increase in size and value of endorsements -She also describes how logo/market development strategies can backfire and gives plenty of examples.

Every day we are bombarded by the enormo-corp "buy, buy, buy" mantra. Think about it - we have organic billboards for Tommy & Nike in our schools, a clown selling us heart attacks and a perpetually retiring athlete shilling for whoever's offering. It is difficult for us to admit that such relentless marketing practices have burrowed into our psyche - but they have.
In lesser hands, 'No Logo' could have been an endless rant against 'the man'. But it isn't. Klein has fashioned a sane, often humorous book that looks at the extremely innocuous and down right scary marketing/social engineering experiments being conducted in the United States and beyond.
'No Logo' has plenty of spicy little mcnuggets that will get your blood boiling. For example, there is the deal that certain U.S. schools have made with McDonald's and Burger King [every participating school CANNOT have a generic burger available in the school canteen - effectively censoring those kids who can't afford a big Mac or Whopper!] Nice eh?
I can guarantee that once you have read 'No Logo' - you will not be able to pass one of those disturbingly omnipresent Gap billboards without smirking knowingly at the utter vapidity of it all. Take a stand against "the Brand" and read this book!

"No Logo" outlines anti-corporate visions on the war against greed. Naomi Klein takes an interesting approach on this topic so widespread written about today in society. Klein's approach towards the matter is that she divides reality of what corporations do to the world into four main categories.
In the first section of the book entitled "No Space", Klein states on page 3 that, "Corporations must primarily produce brands as opposed to products." This means that real work lies in marketing, not manufacturing as it was in the past seeing that branding is a relatively new concept that has evolved over the last few decades. Klein goes on to say that companies sell brands before product, because their eyes are fixed on global expansion and even more fixed on making maximum dollar profit.
In "No Choice", the second main section, Klein examines her own personal experiences of involvement with corporate synergy mania in popular culture. There were many other points in the area of the book, but this one stood out the most to me because it makes a person realize how they themselves as a child are basically born into corporate synergy, and very hard to avoid at a young age.
"No Jobs", is the third category Klein uses to demonstrate that corporations are taking jobs out of the economy. On page 195 Peter Schweitzer president of the advertising campaign for J. Walter Thompson, says, "The difference between products and brands is fundamental. A product is something that is made in a factory; a brand is something that is bought by a customer." Many companies now bypass production completely, and hence leave many former paid employees families hungry at the dinner table at night.
The fourth and final section is named "No Logo." In this section, Klein talks about culture jamming. This term culture jam might best be defined as media hacking, information warfare, terror-art, and guerrilla semiotics, all in one. These examples all work toward the idea that people do not need to be brainwashed into doing something that somebody of wealth wishes you to. This action is seemed necessary by many because they feel that most people don't know any better than to believe what the media tells us. Culture jam is meant to educate those who are so captivated by companies branded products that people fall into an idea that they need a product that a large corporation who cares nothing about them is making.
I enjoyed this book because people always have heard that large corporations are bad, but people really don't understand what that means, and this book gives the cold hard facts. Many parts gave me the knowledge and realization that I can make a difference thru educating others who are not as lucky as I am to get a college education. After all, this book is not intended for just those who are on the way to their degree, but rather this affects everyone no matter how big or small. After reading this book I see more and more corporate logos, but now I am also able to see right thru them as well.

This book was recommended to me by a fellow volunteer this summer. I was a little skeptical reading it - I'm a business student and I didn't want to read the book, change my mind, and be stuck in a career I ended up hating. But, reading this book, if anything, has made me a more consciencious businesswoman. It makes me want to get out into the business world and be honest and hardworking. It's an eye-openning book that covers the last 20 years of marketing and major business events.

No Logo - Apart from a great content, the front cover is so good that you just want to stroke it....well thats part of its popularity at Goldsmiths College, London anyway.
This book stated what I knew. Poor countries get rice money for making greedy Western companies products. But why did I like it so much? Because it really brought it home how branding dominates our lives and how people live around the world. People who make IBM computers in poor countries, its just a formula, they don't know how to even operate them! That I found shocking! But then very real. We just needed to read it in print to stick in our minds!
It was a real eye-opener how it isn't about the product, but the brand! For example with Tommy' buying in the products then branding it.
So it is definately true that behind the shine you should look for the dirt as she quotes in her book.
This is a must have book for all media and cultural communications students. It gave me fantastic ideas about cultural economy/industries, and it almost seemed like a secret cult in the greasy cafe opposite college, where people confessed to be buying the book and praising it for reading like a novel, but being brilliantly informatively.
I must agree though that a sense of balance was lacking. Where were the counter arguments to what she was saying.
cheers anyway Naomi!

Especially considering the fact many people in that and neighbouring countries have been at the root of the anti-globalization movements. The most absurd line these ruthless corporations and their sympathizers throw out is that they're actually humanitarians, kindly helping these poor people survive with their high wages. They'll continually tell you (and perhaps believe) that those raising claims against them are poorly informed, overreactionary, or just plain stupid. This of course includes condemning similar complaints from well respected and established human rights watch dog groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch among others. For the work that is moved over seas, these companies lose the problems with labor unions and the local laws in western nations. They also have no pesky minimum wage laws to deal with and get away with paying people absurdly low wages to produce goods they'll NEVER be able to afford to buy themselves (unless the kind bosses decide to give some workers a free pair of shoes for a yearly bonus!) Worker alienation on steroids. Countries don't need the invasion of American corporations and factories, they need fair trade and support. They instead get bullyed around and often put in positions of tremendous debt to western/"global" financial institutions requiring them to have to sell their land, workers, and resources just to pay off the debts and the interest rates. And of course they'll have to use money gathered from taxes to pay of debts as well...no more public services here! So everyone suffers except those in power. This has nothing to do with the world being born into a natural state of eternal starvation in which the US and it's great, humanitarian companies are curing. It has to do with sabotage, greed, and lies. Back at home we see an increase in service, fast food, and buy-things-here type businesses as all of those who once worked with decent wages and belonged to some trade union in the jobs now moved overseas, are now free and desparate to work in humiliating and miserable bottom-rung-of-the-ladder type jobs. They of course have no union support now (well, there is the IWW which many workers are are unaware of unfortunately), and these jobs often start off with low pay and little gaurantee of serious wage increases. Those in power will hope you're dumb enough to believe that no nation in the world is capable of handling itself except the western capitalist nations. They want you to believe our interference is neccessary for their survival and not the reason of their current turmoil. Why would they not want you convinced of such things? It is in their best financial interests to make the greatest profits possible. There is already a good deal of great reviews on here. My comment is an addition to the topics discussed in the book and a response to a serious claim made by a previous "reviewer."

I believe the most important thing about this book, is that it does not simply rehash the "brands are evil" sort of anti-corporate dirt that has already received attention in recent publications. 'No Logo' does not, as is suggested in a review below, merely outline how scary and powerful the multinational corporations are. Rather, Klein's 'No Logo' takes this sort of discourse one step further, by outlining the wider democratic implications of globalisation. This also allows Klein to avoid a sense of futility in her descriptions of corporate earth - her humourous and incisive tone inspires the reader to become active, which I feel is particularly important in this critical economic crossroads, rather than pessimistic or suicidal.
'No Logo' is infinitely readable, entertaining and inspiring. It's one of those books that would, I feel, make the world a better place if everyone read it. That's my current mission, anyhow - it will be the default birthday present of the majority of my friends for the next year, at least.

This work is a very well documented effort with lots of references to the author's own investigations, published papers, actual interviews, etc. it is an amusing read if you read it with the right mindset and no preconceptions. Having said that I found the book has two major faults: one being it is highly biased and partial towards the author's own ideologic notions, everything in this book seems to have a black/white, good/evil sense, with no shades of gray, and it never tries to even take a look at a different viewpoint, in this case, that of the "evil" globalized corporations, and by the way, all this whinning gets really repetitive throughout all of the book, same concepts and ideas, same targeted corporations, same whines over and over. The second major fault I see with this work is its naivety, it doesn't take onto account that exacerbated consummerism is really propelled by a very extended human trait: selfishness and greed at all levels of our society throughout the world, we are a selfish species on the core and deep inside, corporations as well as governments are only a reflection of what we are as a society, corporations respond to market conditions only and not to an obscure world-domination agenda.... to put it in other words we always have the tyrants that best suit our way of living... and it is not probable to have a sudden extended enlightment era of the human race soon...

Nike, McDonalds, Wal-Mart, et al. want to become the new governments, and Naomi Klein tells us just how they are going about it: buying "exclusives" in schools and universities for big money, tailoring elementary school curriculums that promote not just consumerism but outright greed, all while Third World children make the goods under inhumane conditions. Klein exposes the insidious and not so insidious methods that keep us coming back for more. Far more than an expose', it's a scary trip inside the deluded minds of the corporate giants. Tragic and yet often laugh-out-loud funny, "No Logo" isn't for the easily offended, but if you are willing to take the risk, Klein succeeds brilliantly at entertaining as well as enlightening all of us victims of the bullies. I found it almost impossible to put down despite its length. Here's hoping her next book is a follow-up of this one!

Superb, powerful impact, well written, hard to put down. A truly important book discussing today's society and the corrosive impact we all knew existed, but couldn't describe. Klein does - extremely well. She has the insider's knowledge, the perspective of one not infected, and the intellectual analysis which lets us mere mortals peek into the steel souls and hearts of today's boardrooms and corporate cabals.
A book worth having. Don't lend it out! it will grow legs and disappear!

Books like "No Logo", which is a solid critique of the attempted corporate takeover of the world, are a sign of the growing backlash against the excesses of unfettered, globalized, laissez faire capitalism. While the twin ideas of the invincibility of multinational corporations and the inevitability of complete globalization are promoted by a mass media that is itself quite literally owned by those same corporate paymasters, the truth is that a large number of people are becoming increasingly disillusioned with this situation and are beginning to look for strategies to fight back. People could do a lot worse than to begin by reading Naomi Klein's book.

WHile I worried that this was a simple ideological diatribe, I was very happily surprized at the intelligence and substance of Klein's book. It is a tough, well-reasoned manifesto for the anti-consumerism left of "Gen X." If you are wondering what was driving many of those protesters at the WTO and other summit meetings - most notoriously Seattle in late 1999 - then this book is the best place I know. It is part cultural critique, part economics and social policy, and partly a call to arms. Reading it has helped me to make sense of so much that I thought was simple, nihilistic anarchism. I was humbled to learn that there is far far more behind the movement than I had granted it.
In a nutshell, Klein argues that the "superbrands" - the huge corporations such as Disney and Nike - are progressively taking over virtually all "public spaces," including school curricula, neighborhoods, and all-encompassing infotainment malls like Virgin Megastores. THey are doing this in an attempt enter our minds as consumers in the most intimate ways, which Klein and others find unbearably intrusive. Moreover, she argues, as they subcontract overseas, the superbrands are leaving first-world workers behind while they exploit those in the developing world under horible conditions. It all adds up, she asserts, into a kind of emerging global worker solidarity that is developing new means (via internet exposes, protest campaigns, etc.) to push the superbrands to adopt more just policies and practices.
What was so amazing and useful for me, as a business writer looking at the same issues, is that Klein so often hones in on the underside of what I think are good and effective business practices: the development of brand values, globalisation of the production/value chain to lower prices, and the like. Often I may disagree with her take on things, but she makes too many insightful points to dismiss her and those whom she speaks for. I came to genuinely respect her as a thinker and writer.
Nonetheless, there were numerous omissions, some of which I must point out. First, while condemning exploitive labor practices in third-world sweat shops (which I do not deny exist), Klein fails to explore what the available alternatives are for these workers. Well, I went to Pakistan to examine one of the cases she addresses - children soccerball sewers - and I can say that their alternatives were all too often brick kilns or leather tanneries, both of which were far more dangerous and beyond the reach of international activists because the superbrands have nothing to do with them. Second, Klein tended to dismiss the efforts of MNCs out of hand, as weak sops designed more for PR purposes than to effect change. This is true for some groups, but again, while in Vietnam, I witnessed what I regarded as real social progress that came from the actions of a superbrand: upon hearing the demands and suggestions of a worker-safety inspector paid by adidas, Taiwanese sewing-machine manufacturers were approaching him for detailed design specifications to enhance their safety (driver-belt covers to protect against hand and hair injuries) and he had lots more ideas. However modest, that is real and concrete progress in my opinion.
Moreover, I believe that many of Klein's assertions are inaccurate or unproven. Is there really a mass movement growing out there? Is the clever defacing of huge advertisement boards really impacting pubic consciousness? Does everyone perceive the thrust of the brands as intrusive and poisonous? Is the World Trade Organization set up in a way that works in favor of the first world and against the third world? These are complex and very difficult questions. Finally, as a passionate activist, Klein rhetoric can get a bit overheated. At one point she says that IBM "otherwise impaled itself"; at another that Milton Friedman is a "architect of the global corporate takeover." What do these things mean? I may regard Friedman as a laughable free-market fundamentalist, but he is only a cloistered academic idoelogue, not a doer of any kind. Does throwing a cream pie in his face do anything more than shock adults?
In spite of these reservations, I can only applaud Klein for stirring up the pot of these issues, which provoke thought and encourage exploration, even by conservatives like me.

It was well written exploring many aspects of branding, culture jamming, and production.

This book will leave you with frustration and questioning how you change change something, and what CAN you buy that isn't made from Export Processing Zones.

It does give great information but yet leaves you frustrated and feeling helpless that you can't change the current conditions or avoid buying products made in places like china, el salvador, indonesia where they treat their workers worse than dirt.

This is now the classic easily accessible text on corporate outsourcing and branding. Klein's analysis is grounded in a strong concern for ethics and social justice and informed by an acute understanding of how global businesses operate.

Naomi Klien's treatise on the anti-corporate movement of the last decade provides tremendous insight into the philosophies behind today's anti-corporate culture, and more importantly, the "branded" society that has spawned it. Well written and intelligent on every level, NO LOGO carefully tracks such disturbing phenomenons as the disappearance of public space, the rise of corporate censorship, and the transformation of living wage jobs for Americans into sweatshop labor in the third world. If you are completely unfamiliar with today's cultural rebellion against corporate control, NO LOGO serves as an excellent introduction, clearly outlining the dubious marketing trend of promoting "brands not products" such that you will never be able to watch commercials the same way again. If you are a seasoned WTO protester or billboard adbuster, NO LOGO will provide you with all the philosophical and factual ammo necessary to start converting your friends away from their unthinking materialistic lifestyle. This book is a must read for anyone who considers themselves and independently thinking consumer, as well as anyone who is interested in the latest cultural rebellion taking place among today's young and disenfranchised.

This book is a concise yet comprehensive review of the state of corporate avarice and the consumer appetite that mindlessly promotes it. I found it profoundly enlightening, and it has completely changed the way that I live in and view the society of consumption that continues to invade my space and thought without my permission. It will, and should, make you angry and look for ways to take action and seek accountability from multinational corporations willing to extort both the factory worker and the consumer solely for financial gain. It is a thorough and thoughtful analysis, and easily worth the price as one of the most valuable books you will read this year.

This is the famous polemic written by a young Canadian journalist that gelled, if not started the anti-globalization movement. I have been on a globalization reading 'kick' this year, and I highly recommend that instead of this book, which is mostly negative about the impact of brands, multinationals, and globalization, Thomas Friedman's The Lexus and the Olive Tree. The Lexus and the Olive Tree is much more objective, and addresses the positives as well as the backlash against globalization. Why is this important? If you're of the activist bent, he explains many successful examples of small concerns empowering themselves using the very same globalization to mobilize for a cause, e.g., to bring about the anti-land mine treaty. That, not this book is the book you should read to understand the current world.

Except for the first part of the work, Naomi Klein's No Logo reads like a college paper rant and doesn't get much better. She writes with preconceived notions, brands are bad and globalization is wrong, but she doesn't build a good case to prove her stance. However, that first part, which deals with the invasion of the brand into our daily lives, also effectively investigates how big brands are populating our habitat. Klein fails to convince uncommitted readers that brands are bad per se, but she does convince us that many of the tactics used by brands are immoral.

For instance, I drink Coca-Cola and I resent her trying to tell me this is wrong. However she's perfectly correct to attack Coke machines in high school cafeterias. They shouldn't be there period. Klein is also correct in attacking secret agreements between public universities and Coke, by which the Universities get undisclosed benefits in exchange for granting Coke distributors monopoly rights. Public institutions should not have SECRET agreements with anyone, unless perhaps national security is involved. These agreements were largely unknown and Klein should be praised for this piece of reporting and for using her prominence to expose this practice.

Unfortunately, the rest of the book doesn't have anything new to teach us. We all know workers in developing economies are not as materially well off as we are in OECD, but we also know they are materially better off now than say 15 years ago.

Ironically, Klein implicitly makes a good case for brands improving things world wide: she reports that consumer pressure forced Nike to improve working conditions in the factories manufacturing their products. This is hailed as a great victoy for oppressed workers in the Phillipines and Thailand. But what if Nike had not been famous, what if it had not been a valuable brand? Would consumer pressure have been effective? Klein ignores that question and with reason: she would have needed to rewrite the whole book to answer it.

Vincent Poirier, 14 May 2004, Tokyo
Copied from my 2004 review for an unfindable edition of this book

You definetly get your money's worth. Starts well and keeps you interested for about 350 pages, At that point you wish it was over, unfortunately it continues to limp on for another 200.
An exhaustively thorough view of the subject.

If I may borrow a line from another reviewer before me, the only reason I give this book 2 stars and not 1 is because Klein knows what she's talking about. The only problem is the can't seem to get off her idealistic, utopic view. Her assumptions and opinions are not well founded, plus she seems to find wrong without exploring the alternatives, which can often be a lot worse. If capitalism promotes efficiency, jobs, productivity, etc., who needs a mom-and-pop shop? The truth is that capitalism -- and the free market -- do make room for small entrepreneurial business in the long run anyway. ...small video stores have to learn how to live with Blockbuster. It's a fair game. I believe Klein fails to see that capitalism -- while far from perfect -- happens to be the most efficient way to promote fair competition, employment, and economic prosperity. I don't recall the exact words, but Klein should listen to Winston Churchill's wise advice "A man in his 20's who's not an idealist doesn't have a heart; a man in his 30's who's not a realist, doesn't have a brain."

This book is certainly a fascinating read, provocative, and stimulating. Those factors in and of themselves make it worth reading, because in the least, it will challenge the reader (as it did with me) to re-evaluate his or her positions on a whole range of issues. This is true even if the reader ultimately rejects some, or all, of the author's arguments.
However, I did find Klein's ability to trip over herself in an attempt to be politically correct, as well as her incessant middle-class, white guilt to be a bit much at times, and she presented a very one-sided argument.
Klein paints a stark picture of the way consumerism runs, and if not for the last few chapters, it would be easy to come away from this book completely depressed and disillusioned with the human situation. Ultimately though, I still came away from this book with discomfort. I think this stemmed not from the corporate activity. I actually found Phil Knight to be the real Machiavellian hero of this book due to his deep and amusing understanding of human nature. My discomfort came from the glaring contradiction in Klein's philosophical and political ideologies.
In the most basic form, Klein seems to dislike globalisation because it essentially impinges on the democratic freedoms of individuals. I agree to that extent (although it also does a lot of good for people). Personally, I think the form of globalisation portrayed in her book is an abomination. The situations described at all stages of the retail industry do seem cripple and stifle individual liberties, although in certain stages, people do have more of an avenue out. Also, not to be discussed here, but Klein cleverly side steps the entire issue that the plight of the third world may not be entirely the fault of colonialism and neo-colonialism, but based on anachronistic and stagnant cultural, religious and philosophical ideals and the tacit acceptance in these and corrupt political systems. That aside though, I'm not justifying the ugly face of globalisation.
It is from here that we disagree though. Firstly, her continuous trumpeting of representative democracy seems to miss a couple of things. Firstly, representative democracy is like three wolves and a sheep deciding what is for dinner (or perhaps even three sheep and a wolf). By definition, it must be about the sacrifice of individual liberties to the will of the majority. I'm neither a wolf nor a sheep, so it certainly isn't to my benefit. That aside though, there is a parallel between this and the economics she describes. Those with less wealth have less economic representation than those with more, in much the same way as three wolves have more say as to the menu than one sheep.
If Klein is to talk about true freedom, then she shouldn't dismiss corporations, yet advocate states. She loves the idea of government though (so long as it's "nice"). From my reading of her book, Klein seems to hate the intrusive and draconian arm of the multi-nationals, yet has no problem with the intrusive and draconian arm of governments in a whole range of areas ranging from political correctness, labour laws, protectionism, taxation, social security, and a whole grab bag of perennial libertarian favourite annoyances. After all, whether a corporation or a government dictates my life, if the decisions are not mine, what is the difference? The difference, of course, is that Klein (and the left generally) doesn't see socialistic governments as intrusive or draconian. They're moral of course!
That is the whole point though- it's all about personal responsibility, and choice (ironically). I'm certainly no fan of Orwellian corporations and I'm no walking billboard (although, there's a fair degree of hypocritical, middle-class existence involved by patronising some corporations on a daily basis). Legislation and the tyranny of the utilitarian majority are no alternatives though, at least not if freedom is the aim. If Klein does value every person as capable of taking charge of his or her own life, then this must surely extend to all facets of an individual's life. Every individual should take charge of his or her own economics, social interactions and morality (often all in the one instance). Rights go with responsibilities though. The last thing we need is to be governed. We're not little kids in need of a governess. Of course though, I think most people really don't want individual freedom, and so whether it's church, state or corporation/logo, people need (and want) to give themselves over.
For those of us who want freedom, the Mommy State is not an improvement on Big Brother, and that's why I found Klein's book ultimately unfulfilling.

I'm inclined to be sympathetic to Klein's perspective. I'm fascinated by marketing, interesting in global justice, and all that good stuff. But what was Klein trying to do in this book? Is she portraying American anti-corporate activism? Is she portraying American anti-sweatshop activism? Is she being an activist in one of those areas? Her history of branding is shoddy at best -- branding goes back waaaaay further than she acknowledges -- and her lack of focus on a particular topic takes away from whatever point she's trying to make, or was that a journalistic portrayal? 'Cause I forget. I am glad that people are publishing on these topics, but I don't think that those of us interested in social justice can afford this lack of rigor.

This book is certainly a fascinating read, provocative, and stimulating. Those factors in and of themselves make it worth reading, because in the least, it will challenge the reader (as it did with me) to re-evaluate his or her positions on a whole range of issues. This is true even if the reader ultimately rejects some, or all, of the author's arguments.
However, I did find Klein's ability to trip over herself in an attempt to be politically correct, as well as her incessant middle-class, white guilt to be a bit much at times, and she presented a very one-sided argument.
Klein paints a stark picture of the way consumerism runs, and if not for the last few chapters, it would be easy to come away from this book completely depressed and disillusioned with the human situation. Ultimately though, I still came away from this book with discomfort. I think this stemmed not from the corporate activity. I actually found Phil Knight to be the real Machiavellian hero of this book due to his deep and amusing understanding of human nature. My discomfort came from the glaring contradiction in Klein's philosophical and political ideologies.
In the most basic form, Klein seems to dislike globalisation because it essentially impinges on the democratic freedoms of individuals. I agree to that extent (although it also does a lot of good for people). Personally, I think the form of globalisation portrayed in her book is an abomination. The situations described at all stages of the retail industry do seem cripple and stifle individual liberties, although in certain stages, people do have more of an avenue out. Also, not to be discussed here, but Klein cleverly side steps the entire issue that the plight of the third world may not be entirely the fault of colonialism and neo-colonialism, but based on anachronistic and stagnant cultural, religious and philosophical ideals and the tacit acceptance in these and corrupt political systems. That aside though, I'm not justifying the ugly face of globalisation.
It is from here that we disagree though. Firstly, her continuous trumpeting of representative democracy seems to miss a couple of things. Firstly, representative democracy is like three wolves and a sheep deciding what is for dinner (or perhaps even three sheep and a wolf). By definition, it must be about the sacrifice of individual liberties to the will of the majority. I'm neither a wolf nor a sheep, so it certainly isn't to my benefit. That aside though, there is a parallel between this and the economics she describes. Those with less wealth have less economic representation than those with more, in much the same way as three wolves have more say as to the menu than one sheep.
If Klein is to talk about true freedom, then she shouldn't dismiss corporations, yet advocate states. She loves the idea of government though (so long as it's "nice"). From my reading of her book, Klein seems to hate the intrusive and draconian arm of the multi-nationals, yet has no problem with the intrusive and draconian arm of governments in a whole range of areas ranging from political correctness, labour laws, protectionism, taxation, social security, and a whole grab bag of perennial libertarian favourite annoyances. After all, whether a corporation or a government dictates my life, if the decisions are not mine, what is the difference? The difference, of course, is that Klein (and the left generally) doesn't see socialistic governments as intrusive or draconian. They're moral of course!
That is the whole point though- it's all about personal responsibility, and choice (ironically). I'm certainly no fan of Orwellian corporations and I'm no walking billboard (although, there's a fair degree of hypocritical, middle-class existence involved by patronising some corporations on a daily basis). Legislation and the tyranny of the utilitarian majority are no alternatives though, at least not if freedom is the aim. If Klein does value every person as capable of taking charge of his or her own life, then this must surely extend to all facets of an individual's life. Every individual should take charge of his or her own economics, social interactions and morality (often all in the one instance). Rights go with responsibilities though. The last thing we need is to be governed. We're not little kids in need of a governess. Of course though, I think most people really don't want individual freedom, and so whether it's church, state or corporation/logo, people need (and want) to give themselves over.
For those of us who want freedom, the Mommy State is not an improvement on Big Brother, and that's why I found Klein's book ultimately unfulfilling.

I'm inclined to be sympathetic to Klein's perspective. I'm fascinated by marketing, interesting in global justice, and all that good stuff. But what was Klein trying to do in this book? Is she portraying American anti-corporate activism? Is she portraying American anti-sweatshop activism? Is she being an activist in one of those areas? Her history of branding is shoddy at best -- branding goes back waaaaay further than she acknowledges -- and her lack of focus on a particular topic takes away from whatever point she's trying to make, or was that a journalistic portrayal? 'Cause I forget. I am glad that people are publishing on these topics, but I don't think that those of us interested in social justice can afford this lack of rigor.

Ironically I read this book on a beach in Thailand that was completely unspoilt by the big, bad corporations that the book goes after, but I still found it totally uninspiring. There I was expecting to be completely outraged by the moral injustices that these companies commit and subject the consumer to and I found myself really rooting for Phil Knight, the Nike CEO who is constantly barraged by Naomi's criticisms. The annecdotes in this book are quirky and amusing, beyond that it fails due to the fact that the author's argument is so obviously biased and one-sided. Essentially this book is interesting in parts but flawed - Naomi should have done a bit more research. She gave us "NO CHOICE" but to swallow her argument.

This book offers a deep insight on how advertising are creeping into our lives, even conveyed to us in a subliminal way. If left unchecked, the corporations would be the authors our culture. It also showcases the exploits of major corporations in employment.

However, one must be critical when reading the book, as some of the things Naomi bashes on, such as the Starbucks expansion strategy, are genuine business strategies. In some cases, we have to be realistic and not blindly adopt and anti-corporation stance.

The first 3 chapters, No Space, No Choice, and No Jobs are exceptionally informative, but the last chapter, No Logo, falls short and descends into a boring rant on countermeasures that in my opinion, are far from effective and often, impractical.

Buy the book, read the first 2, skip the last.

no logo by naomi Klein changed my life litteraly. No really... It opened my mind to the fact that companies steal money from us. For example, jockey boxers are less expensive than the Tommy Hilfiger one, but it's Jockey that makes the two of them... And it continues like that troughtout the book.. Also, for my college course, it helped me a lot. Especially in my Humanities class when i had to do an oral on product branding. And it's the only book around that talks about this subject. Thanks to you naomi.
It helped me trought my homework, but also, it helped me realised that those companies use us every day and we don't even know it... Now that i've read the book, i can shop better.

No one will ever accuse Naomi Klein of nuance and subtlety, and her conviction and directness have made her one of the intellectual leaders of the anti-corporate, anti-globalization movement. Her book "No Logo" is one of the manifestos of this movement, and while it's easy to forgive the book for being long and polemical what's not forgivable is that it's boring and turgid. While it's still influential today it won't have the everlasting value of engaging and well-written polemics such as Thomas Paine's pamphlets and Rosseau's essays.

The book is long, and while it's around 400 pages it feels like 4,000 pages. I had great difficulty reading the book. Most nights I would read about ten pages before falling asleep (so this book is great for people who have difficulty falling asleep). This book was hastily written, and the author was so convinced of the righteousness and sincerity of her argument that she paid no attention to style and fluency.

Her argument, simplified, runs as follows: it's not enough that corporations have taken over the world -- they're trying to colonize our minds as well, and the only way to stop them is to disrupting their branding ("culture jamming"). Corporations such as Nike and Apple have abandoned the mundane task of manufacturing (actually making things) to focus on branding, creating concepts and values -- essentially, brainwashing the consumer to think that his identity could be strengthened and enhanced by associating with (buying) certain brands. To facilitate this, multinationals have crushed unions and destroyed local communities by moving factories overseas (China), where their subcontractors exploit poor, uneducated workers. At home, the multinationals prey on poor black communities to discover what is cool and further develop their brand (because rich white kids like to pretend they're poor black gangsters), and to create loyal consumers (who will rob their own mothers to buy the new pair of Nike basketball shoes). What makes these corporations particularly nefarious is that they're shameless -- if they're caught in a lie, they'll admit it, and their legions of diabolical marketers will think of endless ways of translating their guilt into profit.

All of this is very grim, and having stated that the world is hopeless Naomi Klein explains how to save the world. Apparently, saving the world involves a lot of graffiti and vandalism: it's important to disrupt the brainwashing by pointing out how ads brainwash people.

Like all messiahs, Naomi Klein is incredibly angry but also incredibly simplistic. I honestly don't know how to reverse the trends that rightfully upset Klein, but I do know that "No Logo" is a boring and predictable book that's only slightly easier to read and deal with than the other nonsense that PhDs in cultural studies write.

Klein's is a cosmetic critique, thus not a critique at all, (a critique of the surface is naturally vulnerable to becoming surface itself), though you might say it was "on the right track" if you were feeling generous. Klein takes aim at the most obvious and visible symptoms of spectacular capitalism ... Capitalism, a system which is a permanent war on new markets, must itself be rooted out in order to eliminate the impetus for the commodity advertising and branding that was once, tragically, a real battle for the governance of human desire, and is now, farcically, a mindless replay of that battle already won...a maintenance project...a sick habit.

I began this book ready to have my indignation tweaked, and 200 odd pages in, sated with tales of malnourished children working 18 hour days in crowded and dangerous conditions to assemble my clothes, computer, furniture, car, and probably grind my coffee too, my indignation nerves are ringing. Some of the simpler aspects of Klein's doctrine are things I can appreciate. I like buying locally designed and made products, for example, and would rather spend more money on something not knocked off in a sweatshop by an over worked child. The last time I was back in New Zealand, I noticed that a favorite inner city shop where I had bought locally designed and made clothing had vanished, victim, no doubt, to the gravitational pull of the suburban malls. Likewise, my hitherto favourite New Zealand outdoor equipment company, Macpac, has just adjusted its manufacturing policy to bring it in line with "market reality", laid off a great number of staff in NZ and shifted all its production to the third world.
I can see the relevance of what Klein is writing about, but honestly I can't see myself finishing this tome, just because of the indigestible style in which it is written. Naomi Klein is evidently critical of super-brands and their invasive effect on society, but sometimes she seems so enmeshed in the language of marketing mumbo-jumbo that it's hard to find the meaning in the message. Here's an example from the section ALT.EVERYTHING: "As the success of branding superstars like Nike had shown, it was not going to be sufficient for companies simply to market their same product to a younger demographic; they needed to fashion brand identities that would resonate with this new culture." Later in the same chapter, she notes that Tony Blair is "a world leader as nation stylist [who] successfully changed the name of his party from an actual description of its loyalties and party proclivities...to the brand-asset descriptor "New Labour". His is not the Labour Party but a labor-scented party." Much of the marketing speak Klein adopts when discussing the influence big brands have on the western world is in inverted commas. However, if you aren't used to reading phrases such as "experiential shopping" and "fully branded experience", reading paragraph after paragraph larded with these expressions becomes much like the mind-numbing experience of wandering endlessly through a shopping mall. After a few hundred pages I wasn't sure whether Nike manufactures shoes or thin air, and whether I should be congratulating them for their business savvy in ripping off the gullible public or protesting their deplorable third world labour practices.
Anyway, sitting here logged on to AOL, wearing my knock-off Hilfiger shorts, Roots T-shirt and Nike sneakers, I'd be a hypocrite to criticise those evil brands.

I really liked the concepts presented in this book, although I only just read it and it is becoming ever so slightly dated. I thought the concepts were presented clearly and in an interesting way: not overly didactic or factual.

Abandon all hope ye who enter here. Naomi Klein is one skilled writer and you can only thank some higher being that she has used her intellectual wit and analytical persistence to combat multi-million dollar companies as opposed to verbally carpet-bombing innocent bystanders such as uncovering journalists like herself. Just like her compadre in anti-corporate crusading, Michael Moore, Klein saves little ammo, let alone love, trust or respect, for anything ending in "Inc." and operating in anything closely resembling services or other low skilled labour areas. "These companies are our enemies" is a central message of this book and one that is continuously ground into the reader in various shapes, lest we not forget it. In terms of execution, No Logo leaves little to wish for. Well-written, footnoted and well-researched within the area of focus, the book takes us through the areas of society which have been permeated by the greedy ghouls of money-grubbing behemoths over the last decades. No stone is left unturned; education, the service sector, manufacturing, media, and one cannot help but wonder what the text will do to the paranoid reader since basically anything but breathing may be "giving in" to the evil mongers. If you are the accusatory type, and let's face it, most of us enjoy a good fights, especially one that is all about kicking the butt of the rich and scoring a few points for the ordinary, unknowing everyman of Americana, No Logo will not disappoint. That is also where the book runs into trouble. It is guilty of exactly the same phenomenon that most anti-establishment groups suffer from today: myopia and anger for anger's sake.
If you have an ambition to uncover and analyse something in order to defend a certain point of view (like Klein does in No Logo), it is always wise to respect and understand the opposite side. This is precisely the problem that most groups and accusatory voices in the media run into. It is one thing to present an argument and back it up with complimentary viewpoints and facts. It is quite another to present a standpoint and then analyse whatever happens to pass by this "analytical" lens, from this dogmatic perspective. Klein is on a mission to castrate the evil empires that are Nike, Microsoft, McDonald's and so on. But in doing this, she becomes highly one-dimensional, a fact that runs the risk of boring many readers in the long run. And that's when the serious trouble starts, since getting the message out is what No Logo is all about. If you want to see cruel intentions whenever you look out the window, you are sure to find it in everything and everyone. The problem then is that what was once factual (fact: there are some people out there that really are out to hurt and steal) now becomes subjective, and subjective viewpoints are always so much less interesting to listen to, let alone read. The one-sided perspective also evaporates any chance for the other side to score a single point, and as we all know, good dramatization just like good journalism needs a battle where both the protagonists (in this case the poor, innocent consumers and labourers) and the antagonists (McEvil Corp. et al) score points.
The myopic view also raises another interesting question. This book is basically a statement on cultural and commercial imperialism. Well, what else is more imperialistic than imposing foreign viewpoints in a society where they have no natural place? Indeed, it is highly problematic that companies like Nike do business in foreign countries and adopt the general business practices of that region. But is just as troublesome when occidental do-gooders come to redeem these places and save them from whatever undemocratic principles they've been slaves to. Who are westerners to acts as global policemen and impose rules to spare our sensitive media-groomed souls from having to see things like child-labour? Who are we to declare incapacity of people to judge for themselves and take decisions of where to work and under what conditions? It is more interesting to argue about this than to arrive at an answer, which is as impossible as having liberals and socialists agree in politics. But to completely shut out this discussion of a book that intends to "take aim at the brand bullies" severely damages both the credibility and the level of importance that No Logo could have achieved.
No side in the discussion about corporate (ir)responsibility needs more one-dimensional cannon-fodder. What's needed is a more philosophical discussion that takes in such aspects as conflicting viewpoints, and things that are unseen (such as the fate of children that are sacked from Asian factories that have been "liberated" by enclaves of Klein, Moore et al?). For the time being, No Logo serves as little more than a political pamphlet, albeit an amusing and at times informative one at that.

This was a fantastic book and was fairly different from any other book I have read before. The book really explained how today's culture affects brands. Klein explained branding has completely emerged into our societey and that the successful companies are no longer selling simply products. Instead they are selling products with assosiatiions and lifestyles. I really learned a lot from this book and it opened my eyes to how right Klein was about advertising in our societies. I feel that today's culture has completely become obsessed wuth brands!