When Naomi Klein published No Logo in 1999, I embraced it as a welcome intervention to the massive over-branding that was going on in the consumer goods industry. Like Ed O’Brien, the guitarist of Radiohead, I felt that

No Logo certainly made me feel less alone. She was writing everything I was trying to make sense of in my head. It was very uplifting.

On the other hand, I was left with the feeling that No Logo failed to offer answers. In 2002, the Economist asked:

What is the superior alternative to capitalist development that Ms Klein proposes? She feels under no obligation to say. It is not her job to dictate to the movement. The most she can do, in all modesty, is to offer indications and observations; the people, thus empowered, must do the rest.

Now hobbyprincess offers an alternative that I dig. She suggests: instead of No Logo / Pro Logo, think ‘Own Logo‘. Instead of doing away with logos, the point is to create tools that allow people to create their own designs and labels:

An essential aspect of the own logo phenomenon is the branding of one’s own creations. Many of the people who have started to make their own designs (including me and my friends) want to tag their creations with their own symbol. The symbol can be their initials, a nickname, or any other sign that they want to adopt as their own brand. These people would probably agree with most of the arguments that Naomi brings up in her book. Still, instead of No Logo, they are signing up for Own Logo.

Sign me up to the movement.