Summary of Chapter 2

The second chapter of 'No Logo' deals with the increasing influence by brands on society. Brands have set themselves the goal to not only brand their prodcuts, but furthermore brand people's lifestyle and culture. That's why brands decide to sponsor cultural events, like music festivals or sport tournaments. However, brands are not happy with the numerous regulations on advertisement, so that they create their own festivals where they are free to choose how to advertise their products. One good example for a sponsorship is the involvement of the clothing company J-Crew in the movie Dowsons Creek. J-Crew provides the clothing for the actors and in return for that they attain a perfect product placement for their product.
The increasing popularity of music and especially music artists and music groups constitutes a new platform for brands to advertise on. So, brands sign contracts with famous music artists, like Jay-Z to promote their brands. A good example is the Rolling Stones concert tour which was the first sponsored tour in music history.
Next to music, sports becomes another significant advertising platform for brands. Again, brands sign contracts with famous sports stars to promote their products, with the intention that young people buy these products to become part of their lifestyle. Its all about brands trying to appeal to the consumer's lifestyle and Michael Jordan is a perfect example of this development in the sports business. Nike and Michael Jordan are so closely linked to each other that they have become synonyms for each other. So the athlete Michael Jordan has become his own brand.