Editing 993: Brand Identity

{{comic
 | number    = 993
 | date      = December 21, 2011
 | title     = Brand Identity
 | image     = brand_identity.png
 | titletext = Legally-mandated information would be printed on the back or discreetly along the bottom. In small letters under the nutrition information it would say 'Like our products? Visit our website!' There would be no URL.
 }} 

==Explanation==
This comic presents [[Randall]]'s idea for a line of food products all with clear black font on a white background. The products with black block lettering and white background stand out from the other items in this comic. The irony is that even though the branding isn't terribly creative, the ''lack'' of complexity is what causes the products to stand out. These product packaging styles resemble {{w|no-frills}} products and {{w|generic brands}}. For example, in Canada, the "{{w|No Name (brand)|No Name}}" generic brand of low-cost products sold by {{w|Loblaw Companies Limited|Loblaws}} general features a plain yellow label with the description of the product in bold black text, and occasionally an image of the product. The brand name is minimalized as are other legally-required elements (e.g. the weight of the product). Another of Loblaws' generic brands, {{w|President's Choice}} (PC) currently has a plain white background with black bold text for the labels on most of its products (usually with an image of the product as well as the brand name), although more recently, text in accent colours has been introduced.

The style of packaging might be a reference to ''{{w|The Prisoner}}'' TV series from the '60s, a dystopia set in a village (actually, "the village") locked out from the outside world. The shops here only sell "village food". [http://www.wemadethis.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Village-foods.jpg See this photo] for an example.
It might also be a reference to Portal’s bean cans.

In the title text, the lack of a listed URL relates to the lack of branding on the package. It is possible that omitting the URL the consumer's curiosity will be aroused, and they will spend time on the internet hunting for the actual site.

===List of all products in the shelves===
[[File:993_numbering.png]]

*[1] Rainbow 
*[2] Ruffles 
*[3] [unreadable] 
*[4] Potato Chips [new brand]
*[5] [unreadable] 
*[6] cheese crackers [Flavor 1]
*[7] cheese crackers [Flavor 2]
*[8] - [16] [unreadable] 
*[17] tissues [new brand]
*[18] cervical caps [what product is this? see comments]
*[19] [unreadable] 
*[20] blue stripe shells 
*[21] - [24] [unreadable] 
*[25] - [26] [unreadable]
*[27] crackers [new brand]
*[28] - [29] [unreadable]
*[30] matches [new brand]
*[31] - [32] [unreadable]
*[33] peanuts [new brand]
*[34] hot sauce [probably not the new brand, see comments]
*[35] - [40] [unreadable]
*[41] sugar [probably not the new brand, see comments]
*[42] - [45] [unreadable]
*[46] milk [new brand]
*[47] - [48] [unreadable]
*[49] pasta [new brand]
*[50] caccalion [there is no pasta named like this says the {{w|List of pasta}}]
*[51] free
*[52] [unreadable]
*[53] coffee
*[54] [unreadable]
*[55] coffee [new brand]
*[56] - [61] [unreadable]
*[62] white beans
*[63] - [66] [unreadable]
*[67] sanfra beans [there are no beans named like this says the {{w|Bean#Types}}]
*[68] pinto beans
*[69] bean
*[70] pinto beans
*[71] black beans [new brand]
*[72] [unreadable]
*[73] do beans [there are no beans named like this says the {{w|Bean#Types}}]
*[74] black beans
*[75] [unreadable]
*[76] lima beans
*[77] lima beans [new brand]
*[78] fort cotbean [partially unreadable, there are no beans named like this says the {{w|Bean#Types}}]
*[79] three [unreadable] can
*[80] [unreadable]
*[81] pine + giant bean
*[82] beans with [unreadable]
*[83] refrie[d beans; unfinished due to bowing of can]
*[84]-[85] [unreadable]
*[86] mayonnaise
*[87] roo's simple mayo
*[88] simp[le] mayo [unfinished word due to bowing of can]
*[89] mayo [new brand]
*[90] [unreadable]
*[91] red meat sauce
*[92] [unreadable]
*[93] oil
*[94] [unreadable]
*[95] oil
*[96] ketchup [new brand]
*[97] - [98] [unreadable]
*[99] maple syrup
*[100] - [101] [unreadable]
*[102] eye
*[103] tea
*[104] tea
*[105] - [106] [unreadable]
*[107] tea
*[108] country loaf
*[109] bread [new brand]
*[110] white bread

==Transcript==
:[The incredibly varied shelf of a supermarket aisle. There are many different types of products on this shelf. Each type has numerous different brands, all surrounding a very plain brand that has, as its only label, the type of product. A plain bag, labeled in plain black letters, says "Potato Chips" and is surrounded by all the other various brands of potato chips. The same exists for tissues, crackers, matches, peanuts, hot sauce, sugar, milk, pasta, coffee, black beans, lima beans, mayo, ketchup, tea, and bread. There is a stark contrast between the incredibly noisy and complex labeling of every other brand and this simple one.]

:[Caption below:]
:If I ever sold a line of supermarket goods,
:this is how I'd build a brand identity overnight.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Food]]