March 2, 2005

Corporate commands

Alain Jourdier points to the fascinating Institute for Infinitely Small Things, who are compiling a database of Corporate Commands. Snppet:

WHAT IS A CORPORATE COMMAND?
A Corporate Command is an instruction work, a call to action in the form of an imperative:

"Just Do It"
"Turn on the Future"
"Live without Limits"
"Tap into great taste"
"Think different"
"Ride the light"
"Live Like You Mean It"

It is the hypothesis of the Institute for Infinitely Small Things that these commands, largely and consciously ignored by a public over-saturated with advertisements, function at the scale of the infinitely small. Tiny events that do not disturb one's consciousness or disrupt one's identity as "free" agents, these commands seep under the surface of the individual and lay claim to the territory of the Deleuzian Virtual. Desire, memory, and future potentiality become territories for conquest and tactics for social and political control.

I tire of these slogans, but my own hunch is that they are far more exciting to those who invented them than they are influential over the rest of us.

I don't know what the Deleuzian Virtual is and I'm not terribly curious. I do think that straplines of this kind, though calculated with great effort are a bit of a waste of everyone's time.

Posted by Johnnie Moore at 19:45
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Comments (3)

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Aleah says

I agree. In most cases, the meaning is lost in catch phrases. One would wonder if it is more important to create memorable slogans ('Just Do It') or meaningful slogans (follow up with relationship building initiatives that communicate to the customers - not just the staff)...

You reminded me of something I wanted to write RE: Harley.

Joe Ford [TypeKey Profile Page] says

On the whole the slogans are an excuse to ramp up the brand strategy fees. However, 'Just Do It' is a pretty emotive slogan and non-decriminatory. It's honest and a pretty good call to action or arms, whether you're a consumer or staff member! Wish I had come up with it...

Stanley Moss says

I need to know how this fits exactly with the hylomorphic model, though...

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