The Branded Communities

One of the most interesting movies I have ever seen would have to be "Fight Club". A huge thing that is discussed throughout this movie is on the topic of consumerism. Tyler Durden, one of the main protagonists, states that, "The things you own, end up owning you in the end."

 He, of course, has a rather cynical outlook upon the topic of the things we purchase in our day to day life, but an accurate point nonetheless. Our society actually has communities of people centered around products that they buy from certain brands. If we think about it, doesn't that sound a lot like what Tyler stated about things owning us? When someone is in a brand community, they always have to have that next thing that the brand comes out with whether or not they need it. They simply have to have it since it's new and it came from that brand that they trust and believe in so dearly. Within these brand communities too they mostly all think and believe in the same ideas and values.

For example, take a look at the Apple community. Apple users actually have a certain image if you think about it. You can imagine it right now can't you? A young person who wears plain, layered, slim fitting clothing, tends to be kind of snobby and as trendy as possible. These people come to represent to the world what Apple is as a product. They also continually believe and purchase Apple products, even with the fact that Apple has in the past few years essentially come out with the same product over and over.

Now we have to consider this, does the product shape the people who purchase it, or are the purchasers already like that when they buy the product? Is an Apple user changed into a snobby hipster by buying Apple products, or is he just that way to begin with? I personally believe that people don't change because of the product they buy and get involved with. I think that they are drawn sometimes by the image that a product gives them and so should think of brands as magnets essentially. They pull together people of a like mindset and belief under one branded community.

So we ultimately do have to agree with what Tyler states is true, things do end up owning us. Yet it is by our choice that we do. We agree with what image the product gives us and allows us to project, because we are of that like mentality and belief with all the other people who use that product. Brand communities exist since people are simply pulled together because of that image that brand gives.