How Brands Become Icons, Holt (2004)

As mentioned in the title, this excerpt deals with brands' myths, that is to say a strong image of brand that would talk to the consumers and attract them, while being in phase with the actual society tensions. The extract focuses on the case of Budweiser and their struggle to always just read and find the myth that would make consumers “adherer” to. As we talk about myths and brands that become icons: very strong image, not only in their consumers’ eyes, but also in the public place.

This rose some issues. If we get focused on one of the ad campaigns launched by Budweiser while seeking to create a new myth for the brand, the “Whassup” campaign, starring a group of Afro-American men whose main interest in life seems to be hanging out within their friends very closed group, we can’t help thinking of the effect this campaign had on the consumers of Budweiser. As a matter of fact, this “series” created a whole brand community around the values of the characters, the “Whassuuup!” code, the rules; for men exclusively, and a whole philosophy behind it: the myth, in fact, which is “Today men find brotherhood and intimacy hanging out together, creating their own hermetic culture. So identity must grow out of the camaraderie of close friends.”

[...] How Brands Become Icons, Holt (2004) Summary As mentioned in the title, this excerpt deals with brands myths, that is to say a strong image of brand that would talk to the consumers and attract them, while being in phase with the actual society tensions. The extract focuses on the case of Budweiser and their struggle to always readjust and find the myth that would make consumers “adherer” to. As we talk about myths and brands that become icons: very strong image, not only in their consumers’ eyes, but also on the public place. [...]

[...] Issue: TV-Shows that go iconic. First, let us define which brand we are talking about. There is, the TV-show in itself, which can be considered as a brand, having a brand image, generating profit, supported by a marketing campaign. Then, there are also the other brands. When a TV-Show becomes iconic such as which has influenced a whole generation of young people, it becomes a brand, having a strong brand image. When a brand achieves to reach to the status of an icon, it should take benefit from it, and the producers have understood that. [...]