No Logo – the Selfridges de-branding exercise
As part of its No Noise retail initiative, which aims to promote peace and quiet rather than information overload, Selfridges London is introducing a Quiet Shop, featuring a range of products with ‘brand noise’ removed.
The retailer says it has tried to work with brands which are recognisable even with the logos removed for the initiative, and companies from Marmite and Heinz to Levi’s and Crème de la Mer have all created special debranded products to go in-store.
Selfridges has also removed its branding from its easily recognisable yellow bags.
Selfridges is also reintroducing its Silence Room, a quiet, contemplative space similar to the one first launched in 1909 by store founder Harry Gordon Selfridge.
Shoppers will be asked to leave their shoes and mobile phones behind before they enter the space, which has been designed by architect Alex Cochrane.
Selfridges says the space, in the Ultralounge, will provide ‘an oasis of quiet for those eager to take a moment and switch off’.
Other initiatives for No Noise will include a meditation ‘pod’ from Headspace and performances of John Cage’s silent work 4’33”.
The No Noise initiative runs from 11 January until the end of February at Seldfridges, 400 Oxford Street, London W1A
What Selfridges have asked for from the brands misses the point. The form of the Marmite jar, the red tag on the Levi’s, the turquoise background and the tombstone on the Heinz will all continue to create noise. If they wished to reduce “noise” then they should have just had plain white packaging with the brands in Helvetica. But then no-one would have been able to find what they were looking for and that wouldn’t have promoted peace and quiet in the least!
Or maybe I’m missing the point. Maybe Selfridges wanted to demonstrate the value of great packaging design that works by creating strong visual equities beyond the brand name?
Or maybe I’m just taking this whimsical idea far too seriously!
The notion that all branding has been removed from these items is risible! And a publication in the design industry such as Design Week really should know better.
A few bits of the logo have been taken away. And that the idea that the logo is the brand shows a real lack of understanding of branding. The Heinz ’57 varieties’ is part of the brand. The blue on the label is part of the brand, as is the shield device. The Marmite bottle shape is part of its brand. As is the yellow cap. Let alone the fact that although the word Marmite is removed the rest of the logo remains.
Branding is far more than a logo; and more than just packaging too. This is a cute piece of tricksy promotion by Selfridge’s, but a woeful lack of branding understanding by an industry magazine and it helps perpetrate the myth that logo = brand amongst brand owners.
Wonderful article – I’m very tired of negative backfire, even from the design network. I composed a comparative contention a couple of months back. Couldn’t imagine anything better than to know your contemplations: https://londonlogodesigns.co.uk/
Branding is far more than a logo; and more than just packaging too. https://imperiallogodesigns.co.uk/