The kindergarten effect: Why we can’t stop showing off brand names
Is it the same in your countries? I sometimes see cars with stickers of the owner’s favorite singers or bands. I say this with zero malice, but it looks a little funny and instantly reminds me of the time just before elementary school.
Getting ready for elementary school is a huge event for Japanese kids. Parents buy all the stationery, and the government provides the textbooks. Then comes the harsh welcome from the social system: kids are required to put their name and class number on every single item, right down to each individual pencil.
For this same reason, I find clothing and bags loudly printed with brand names—usually the name of the founding designer—curiously funny. If someone wears a T-shirt printed with “Issey Miyake,” I often find myself wanting to make a joke like, “Miyake-san, you forgot to write your class number!”
Why are we so keen on advertising someone else’s name? The point is that we humans have a profound, sometimes greedy, need for self-assertion. We like to express what we like, often loudly, even while fiercely asserting our rights to privacy. This leads to my central question: Should brand names be displayed so clearly for all the world to see?
The authenticity trap: The paradox of stickers and tags
There are fascinating cultural disputes over this issue in Japan.
The first is the “Iittala sticker dispute.” If you search “Iittala” on Google Japan, you’ll find countless webpages debating whether the beautiful Iittala sticker should be peeled off the glassware after purchase. I suspect it’s partially because the sticker’s design is simply too good to discard.
Another is the New Era baseball cap. Most people here seem to leave the sticker on the brim. I always wondered why, and I finally found a plausible reason: since there is so much counterfeit merchandise on the market, the sticker acts as a kind of certificate for authenticity. In a strange way, the sticker plays the original role of a brand logo.
The pinnacle of irony: Maison Margiela’s four white stitches
The last, and my favorite, case is the French fashion house Maison Margiela.
The brand’s philosophy seems to be against blatant branding. Their product tag is intentionally tacked only in the four corners, designed so customers can remove it easily after purchase. Crucially, those four white tacking stitches remain visible from the outside.
The irony is profound: most Japanese customers leave the tag and the stitches intact. As a result, the brand is often humorously referred to in Japan as “the four-point tag.” In doing so, customers are not just showing off the brand name; they are showing off their knowledge of the brand’s anti-branding philosophy.
Although it is often said that Generation Z has less interest in traditional luxury brands, I believe they simply want to be recognized as someone who is in control of their own preference, not the brand’s marketing. It’s just a difference in how to show off and stand out. It is truly a wonderfully human trait that we can never truly escape our desire for approval from others.
The furniture question: A subtle way to show off
Once, I considered proudly displaying our brand tag or plate somewhere visible on our furniture. But I quickly and ruefully realized that, given our low-profile philosophy, it would satisfy few people, sadly enough.
However, thinking about these conflicts between branding and self-expression made me remember the custom of name-embroidering services for bespoke shirts and suits. The name is hidden inside, meant only for the wearer and perhaps a close tailor to see.
This leads to my final question for you: Do you think there is a market or demand for such a subtle, personalized service for furniture—for example, embroidering a customer’s initials onto the seating of a dining chair?
Shungo Ijima
He is travelling around the world. His passion is to explain Japan to the world, from the unique viewpoint accumulated through his career: overseas posting, MBA holder, former official of the Ministry of Finance.