Editing No Logo

{{short description|1999 nonfiction book by Naomi Klein}}
{{Lead too short|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox book
| name         = No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies
| image        = No Logo cover.jpg
| caption      = Front cover of ''No Logo''
| author       = [[Naomi Klein]]
| country      = Canada
| language     = English
| subject      = [[Alter-globalization]]
| genre        = [[Non-fiction]]
| publisher    = [[Knopf Canada]], [[Picador (imprint)|Picador]]
| release_date = December 1999
| media_type   = Print (hardcover & paperback)
| pages        = 490 (first edition)
| isbn         = 0-312-20343-8
| oclc         = 43271949
| followed_by  = [[Fences and Windows]]
}}

'''''No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies''''' is a book by the Canadian author [[Naomi Klein]]. First published by [[Knopf Canada]] and [[Picador (imprint)|Picador]] in December 1999,<ref>{{cite web|title=No Logo by Naomi Klein|url=http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780676971309|publisher=RandomHouse.ca|access-date=2 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071002222042/http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780676971309|archive-date=2 October 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies|url=https://archive.org/details/nospacenochoicen00klei|url-access=registration|isbn=0312271921|last1=Klein|first1=Naomi|date=2000-12-08|publisher=Picador }}</ref> shortly after the [[1999 Seattle WTO protests]] had generated media attention around such issues, it became one of the most influential books about the [[alter-globalization]] movement and an international bestseller.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/klein-teams-up-with-cuaron-for-anti-globalization-short-1.685484 |title=Klein teams up with Cuaron for anti-globalization short |access-date=2008-09-29 |work=CBC News |date=2007-09-06 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116163343/http://cbc.ca/arts/tiff/story/2007/09/06/klein-short-cuaron.html |archive-date=January 16, 2009 }}</ref>

==Focus==
The book focuses on [[brand]]ing and often makes connections with the [[anti-globalization movement]]. Throughout the four parts ("No Space", "No Choice", "No Jobs", and "No Logo"), Klein writes about issues such as [[sweatshop]]s in the [[Americas]] and [[Asia]], [[culture jamming]], [[corporate censorship]], and [[Reclaim the Streets]]. She pays special attention to the deeds and misdeeds of [[Nike Inc|Nike]], [[The Gap (clothing retailer)|The Gap]], [[McDonald's]], [[Shell plc|Shell]] and [[Microsoft]] – and of their lawyers, contractors, and [[advertising agency|advertising agencies]]. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/00/04/23/reviews/000423.23ledbett.html|title=Brand Names|website=[[New York Times]]|access-date=2017-10-20}}</ref>

While globalization appears frequently as a recurring theme, Klein rarely addresses the topic of [[globalization]] itself, and when she does, it is usually indirectly. She goes on to discuss globalization in much greater detail in her book ''[[Fences and Windows]]'' (2002).

==Summary==
The book comprises four sections. The first three sections deal with the negative effects of brand-oriented corporate activity, while the fourth and final section discusses various movements that arose in opposition to the corporate activities discussed in the rest of the book.

==="No Space"===
The book begins by tracing the history of brands. Klein argues that there has been a shift in the usage of branding and gives examples of this shift to "anti-brand" branding. Early examples of brands were often used to put a recognizable face on factory-produced products. These slowly gave way to the idea of selling lifestyles. According to Klein, in response to an economic crash in the late 1980s (due to the [[Latin American debt crisis]], [[Black Monday (1987)]], the [[savings and loan crisis]], and the [[Japanese asset price bubble]]), corporations began to seriously rethink their approach to marketing and to target the youth demographic, as opposed to the [[baby boomers]], who had previously been considered a much more valuable segment.

The book discusses how brand names such as [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] or [[Pepsi]] expanded beyond the mere products which bore their names, and how these names and logos began to appear everywhere. As this happened, the brands' obsession with the youth market drove them to further associate themselves with whatever the youth considered "cool". Along the way, the brands attempted to associate their names with everything from movie stars and athletes to grassroots social movements.

Klein argues that large [[multinational corporation]]s consider the marketing of a brand name to be more important than the actual manufacture of products; this theme recurs in the book, and Klein suggests that it helps explain the shift to production in [[Third World]] countries in such industries as clothing, footwear, and computer hardware.

This section also looks at ways in which brands have "muscled" their presence into the school system, and how in doing so, they have pipelined advertisements into the schools and used their position to gather information about the students. Klein argues that this is part of a trend toward targeting younger and younger consumers.

==="No Choice"===
In the second section, Klein discusses how brands use their size and clout to limit the number of choices available to the public – whether through market dominance (e.g., [[Wal-Mart]]) or through aggressive invasion of a region (e.g., [[Starbucks]]). Klein argues that each company's goal is to become the dominant force in its respective field. Meanwhile, other corporations, such as [[Sony]] or [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], simply open their own chains of stores, preventing the competition from even putting their products on the shelves.

This section also discusses the way that corporations merge with one another in order to add to their ubiquity and provide greater control over their image. [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]], for instance, is allegedly under pressure not to air any stories that are overly critical of Disney, its parent company. Other chains, such as Wal-Mart, often threaten to pull various products off their shelves, forcing manufacturers and publishers to comply with their demands. This might mean driving down manufacturing costs or changing the artwork or content of products like magazines or albums so they better fit with Wal-Mart's image of family friendliness.

Also discussed is the way that corporations abuse [[copyright law]]s in order to silence anyone who might attempt to criticize their brand.

==="No Jobs"===
In this section, the book takes a darker tone and looks at the way in which manufacturing jobs move from local factories to foreign countries, and particularly to places known as [[Free trade zone|export processing zones]]. Such zones often have no labor laws, leading to dire working conditions.

The book then shifts back to [[North America]], where the lack of manufacturing jobs has led to an influx of work in the service sector, where most of the jobs are for minimum wage and offer no benefits. The term "[[McJob]]" is introduced, defined as a job with poor compensation that does not keep pace with inflation, inflexible or undesirable hours, little chance of advancement, and high levels of stress. Meanwhile, the public is being sold the perception that these jobs are temporary employment for students and recent graduates, and therefore need not offer living wages or benefits.

All of this is set against a backdrop of massive profits and wealth being produced within the corporate sector. The result is a new generation of employees who have come to resent the success of the companies they work for. This resentment, along with rising unemployment, labour abuses abroad, disregard for the environment, and the ever-increasing presence of advertising breeds a new disdain for corporations.

==="No Logo"===
The final section of the book discusses various movements that have sprung up during the 1990s. These include ''[[Adbusters]]'' magazine and the [[culture-jamming]] movement, as well as [[Reclaim the Streets]] and the [[McLibel]] trial. Less radical protests are also discussed, such as the various movements aimed at putting an end to [[sweatshop]] labour.

Klein concludes by contrasting consumerism and citizenship, opting for the latter. "When I started this book," she writes, "I honestly didn't know whether I was covering marginal atomized scenes of resistance or the birth of a potentially broad-based movement. But as time went on, what I clearly saw was a movement forming before my eyes."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Klein|first1=Naomi|title=No space, no choice, no jobs, no logo : taking aim at the brand bullies|date=2009|publisher=Vintage Canada|location=Toronto|isbn=9780307399090|page=443|edition=10th anniversary}}</ref>

== Responses ==
[[File:'The Economist' cover (September 8, 2001).png|thumb|A cover of ''[[The Economist]]'' (8 September 2001) in reference to ''No Logo'']]
{{csection|date=January 2024}}

After the book's release, Klein was heavily criticized by the newspaper ''[[The Economist]]'', leading to a broadcast debate with Klein and the magazine's writers, dubbed "No Logo vs. Pro Logo".<ref>
{{cite web| url = http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/4390| title = WNHC News Debate: Pro Logo vs. No Logo}}</ref>

The [[2004 in literature|2004]] book ''[[The Rebel Sell]]'' (published as ''Nation of Rebels'' in the United States) specifically criticized ''No Logo'', stating that turning the improving quality of life in the working class into a fundamentally anti-market ideology is shallow.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Rebel Sell|url=https://archive.org/details/rebelsellwhycult00heat|url-access=registration|last1=Heath|first1=Joseph|last2=Potter|first2=Andrew|publisher=Harper Perennial|year=2004|isbn=1841126551|location=Ontario}}</ref>

[[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] published a point-by-point response to the book, refuting each of the statements Klein had made about the company's labor practices.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nikebiz.com/labor/nologo_let.shtml|title=NikeBiz {{!}} Labor {{!}} No Logo Letter|date=2001-06-18|access-date=2017-07-15|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010618162615/http://nikebiz.com/labor/nologo_let.shtml|archive-date=2001-06-18}}</ref>

==Awards==
In 2000, ''No Logo'' was short-listed for the [[Guardian First Book Award|''Guardian'' First Book Award]] in 2000.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://books.guardian.co.uk/firstbook2000/0,,345809,00.html | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Guardian First Book Award 2000 | access-date=2010-05-20}}</ref>

In 2001, the book won the following awards:
* The 2001 [[National Business Book Award]]<ref>{{cite web|website=National Business Book Award|url=http://www.nbbaward.com/winner-2001.asp|date=2001|title=Winner|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714161833/http://www.nbbaward.com/winner-2001.asp|archive-date=2011-07-14}}</ref>
* The 2001 French Prix Médiations<ref>{{cite web|website=senat.fr|url=http://www.senat.fr/evenement/prixmediation.html|date=2001|title=French Prix Médiations|access-date=2009-03-16|archive-date=2013-12-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224105205/http://www.senat.fr/evenement/prixmediation.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Editions==
Several [[Impression (publishing)|imprint]]s of ''No Logo'' exist, including a hardcover first edition,<ref>{{cite book|author=Klein, Naomi|isbn= 0-676-97130-X |edition=first|title=No Logo|year= 2000 |publisher= Knopf Canada }}</ref> a subsequent hardcover edition,<ref>{{cite book|author=Klein, Naomi|isbn= 0-312-20343-8 |edition=hardcover|title=No Logo|url=https://archive.org/details/nospacenochoicen00klei|url-access=registration|date= 2000-01-15 }}</ref> and a paperback.<ref>{{cite book|author=Klein, Naomi|title=No Logo|url=https://archive.org/details/nospacenochoicen00klei|url-access=registration|isbn= 0-312-27192-1 |edition=paperback|date=2000-12-08|publisher=Picador }}</ref> A 10th anniversary edition was published by Fourth Estate<ref>{{cite book|title=No Logo|author=Klein, Naomi|publisher=Fourth Estate|edition=10th anniversary|isbn= 978-0-00-734077-4|date=2009-10-29}}</ref> that includes a new introduction by the author. Translations from the original English into several other languages have also been published.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.naomiklein.org/no-logo/publication-info|title=Publication Information for No Logo {{!}} Naomi Klein|website=www.naomiklein.org|language=en|access-date=2017-01-30|archive-date=2016-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505173955/http://www.naomiklein.org/no-logo/publication-info|url-status=dead}}</ref> The subtitle, "Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies", was dropped in some later editions.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Formats and Editions of No logo : no space, no choice, no jobs [WorldCat.org]|language=en|oclc = 223251234}}</ref>

==Video==
Naomi Klein explains her ideas in the 40-minute video ''No Logo – Brands, Globalization & Resistance'' ([[2003 in film|2003]]), directed by [[Sut Jhally]].<ref>{{cite book|title=No Logo – Brands, Globalization & Resistance|author=Jhally, Sut (Director) & Klein, Naomi|date=2003|isbn=1-893521-85-0 |url=http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=115}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
Members of the English rock group [[Radiohead]] recommended the book to fans on their website and was rumored to have considered calling the album ''Kid A'' "No Logo" for a time.<ref name="ECCLESTON">{{Cite web|last=Eccleston|first=Danny|title=(Radiohead article)|work=Q Magazine|date=October 2000|url=http://www.followmearound.com/presscuttings.php?year=2000&cutting=89&PHPSESSID=c033bc19e81ba698894f33e264541fc4|access-date=2007-03-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311024424/http://www.followmearound.com/presscuttings.php?year=2000&cutting=89&PHPSESSID=c033bc19e81ba698894f33e264541fc4|archive-date=2007-03-11}}</ref> Argentine artist [[Indio Solari]] wrote a song for his first solo album named "Nike es la cultura" ("Nike is the culture"), in which he says, "You shout No Logo! Or you don't shout No Logo! Or you shout No Logo No!" in reference to this book.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cmtv.com.ar/discos_letras/letra.php?bnid=141&banda=Indio_Solari&DS_DS=1352&tmid=23574&tema=NIKE_ES_LA_CULTURA|title=CMTV - Letra NIKE ES LA CULTURA de Indio Solari|last=CMTV|website=CMTV|language=es|access-date=2018-12-30}}</ref>

Argentine-American rock singer [[Kevin Johansen]] wrote a song, "Logo", inspired by Klein's book. A copy of ''No Logo'' is even used in the official video for the song.<ref>{{cite web| website=Youtube| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me3SYP5Qc9A  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Me3SYP5Qc9A| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title='Logo' music video|author=Johansen, Kevin| date=22 December 2008 |access-date=September 3, 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Dave Longstreth of american indie-pop band [[Dirty Projectors]] names the book and its author in their 2016 song "Keep Your Name" <ref>{{cite web| website=Genius| url=https://genius.com/Dirty-projectors-keep-your-name-lyrics|title= Dirty Projectors - Keep your name lyrics|access-date=June 21, 2024}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[China Blue]]
* [[Culture industry]]
* [[Occupy movement]]
* ''[[The Society of the Spectacle]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Naomi Klein|No Logo}}

* {{Official website|http://www.nologo.org/}}
* [http://www.naomiklein.org/no-logo Naomi Klein's] website
* [https://nbbaward.com/?page_id=260 National Business Book Award – ''No Logo'']
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q129677618|id=tt0373193|title=No Logo - Brands, Globalization & Resistance (2003 40 minute video)}}
* [https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1874022304 CBC Archives] – CBC Television HotType N. Klein talking about her book.

{{Naomi Klein}}
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[[Category:Books by Naomi Klein]]
[[Category:1999 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:Knopf Canada books]]
[[Category:Anti-globalization books]]
[[Category:Books about the media]]
[[Category:Brands]]
[[Category:Canadian political books]]
[[Category:Culture jamming]]
[[Category:Marketing books]]
[[Category:Non-fiction books about consumerism]]
[[Category:Works about the information economy]]
[[Category:Picador (imprint) books]]