When I was eating breakfast at home recently, I took an inventory of the number of corporate brands that were on display to me as I sat at our kitchen counter.
The fridge, oven, toaster, etc. were obvious ones but then I started noticing brand names on things like a pair of speakers, the cookware and the ceiling fan, and the count went up to 15+.
There are probably more I'm missing. And that's before I even open up the pantry to look at food packaging - oh my.
You've probably seen the studies that say the average U.S. resident is exposed to many thousands of advertising/branding messages per day. Sometimes these studies seem a bit exaggerated, but I still think about the core point that my brain is consuming brand and advertising messaging all day long.
As I've gotten older and I feel like my brain is less sponge-like for being able to take in all the information I can throw at it, I've gotten more protective of what I fill it up with and what I use it for.
One way to do that is to not let brands advertise to me in my own home and in the spaces where I generally want the most control over how I feel, what I think about, and what messages I take in.
I've already paid for their product, and said purchase did not include an agreement to perpetually market their logo to residents and guests of our house. For the most part I'm not someone who wants or needs to show off to others any premium brands that I've paid for (except for my Lexus microwave, boy does that thing cook). And it's not that I think all marketing and brand messaging is bad...maybe just situations where the "consumer" can't opt-out of encountering them.
So with a little bit of black electrical tape or a bit of targeted scraping with a razor, I think I can hide many of these brands in my home.
A bit trifling? Perhaps. A bit rewarding? Definitely.
Do you find yourself noticing the brand marketing in your home or other personal spaces? How many brands are on display in your kitchen? How does it affect you, if at all?
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I do this too, for those exact same reasons 🙂
I've found that black electrical tape does work well for things like monitors, speakers, PC laptops, and other black electronics where the label can't be removed.
For my Macbook, I ordered one of those large stickers that covers the entire lid. Mine is just a solid black, but most of them have designs.
For stickers that leave a lot of residue, I've found that Goo Gone works really well, but you sometimes need to let it soak into the residue for a few minutes, then scrape it away with a pocket knife or whatever.