Editing Talk:993: Brand Identity

The Swedish company Konsum had a line of products called "Blåvitt"(blue and white) which had a minimalistic approch. [https://www.google.com/search?q=konsum+bl%C3%A5vitt&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj3noPk7JzpAhWQB3cKHXELAMYQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=konsum+bl%C3%A5vitt&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzICCAAyBggAEAgQHjoGCAAQBxAeOggIABAIEAcQHlCTIFjzKWD8LWgAcAB4AIABW4gB1QOSAQE3mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ei=72yxXrfrO5CP3APxloCwDA&bih=960&biw=1692 Some examples] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.18|162.158.134.18]] 13:51, 5 May 2020 (UTC)

Notice that the sugar is inverted? Weird.
--Classhole 23:22, 24 January 2013 (UTC)
:Weird, the hot sauce is also inverted [[User:BlueRoll18|BlueRoll18]] ([[User talk:BlueRoll18|talk]]) 02:38, 7 February 2013 (UTC)
:::While the sugar and hot sauce are unusual in that you can easily read the packaging, I don't think they are supposed to be in the same product range. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 16:25, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

NONAME in Canada uses yellow boxes with black text but basically the same idea.
--Pundawg 18:56, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

I didn't get this joke because I grew up eating "Slim Price" food branded exactly this way. -lolo {{unsigned ip|99.120.200.86}}

There's a brand called "Ja!" from the Rewe group in Germany that uses this exact concept somewhat, but nowadays, the packages contain pictures and illustrations of all kinds, and aren't as white, simple and plain as they used to be in the past. See: http://www.rewe.de/besser-einkaufen/ja/produkte-und-infos.html
--Rolfhub 23:25, 14 September 2013

:Here is some old image of the designs: [https://web.archive.org/web/20040503194438im_/http://www.rewe-ja.de/nxMODULES/nxCONTENTER/content/1_425Bild1.jpg]. It's not as simple as in the comic, but it's certainly the same idea. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.39|108.162.219.39]] 20:25, 24 April 2014 (UTC)

:Ah, dear old "Ja!"... it saved my life back when I was a broke student. Anyway, also the M-Budget line from Swiss Migros recently started adding pictures to its product, but before that it was all green packaging with black writing. Wonerful --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.31|108.162.229.31]] 13:36, 26 May 2014 (UTC)
::"Ja!" is a very successful brand sold in Germany (and more countries) offered by {{w|REWE}}. The products are presented in a white cover, just showing the word "Ja!" ("Yes!" in English) and much smaller the content of the product. Maybe this could also be mentioned at the trivia section. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:55, 26 May 2014 (UTC)

I think the lack of URL is just to troll the consumers. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.63.180|173.245.63.180]] 00:33, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

Actually several brands in the Netherlands did this before the comic was posted. They switched to a red/white two-colour scheme with the product in large letters in English. The problem was, that multiple brands did this, which made them look very similar. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.95|141.101.75.95]] 16:09, 8 December 2014 (UTC)
Hey, something seems wrong with the IP logging. The logged IP is not mine. -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.95|141.101.75.95]] 16:11, 8 December 2014 (UTC)
: About multiple brands looking the same. Contrary to "tragedy of the commons", "prisoners dilemma", or "what if everyone act like that" https://xkcd.com/958/ , this is not a problem. It would actually be approaching utopia. When people look for distinguishing features, they would have to, like, read the nutrition on the back, or look for comparison prices. I.e. relevant info, instead of "oh shiny". /David A [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.33|141.101.80.33]] 05:36, 24 August 2016 (UTC)

For a couple of decades this exact thing existed: http://www.google.com/search?q=black+on+white+generic+brand+products In fact I'm certain that that is the joke.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.156|108.162.215.156]] 07:38, 11 March 2015 (UTC)

I believe this may be a reference to the film Repo Man. {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.170}}

I don't know how common [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muji Muji] stores are in the US (where I imagine most readers reside), but this is basically what they've been doing since the 1980s. [[User:Liyang|Liyang]] ([[User talk:Liyang|talk]]) 05:33, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

Soylent 2.0 is doing this exact thing: https://soylent-production-herokuapp-com.global.ssl.fastly.net/static/images/drink_secondary_messaging_block1.3571d250b954.jpg Interestingly, that image is very similar to this comic.03:36, 7 February 2016 (UTC)

I was at walmart the other day and noticed a brand doing this, without even a brand name. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 20:31, 23 March 2016 (UTC)

;/* Trivia */

Randall made a mistake as the ketchup is labeled "kerhup" {{unsigned ip|108.162.245.118}}
:No, if you zoom in it'sthe letters 'TC', which overlap slightly because of the cramped bottle. {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.133 }}

Why is the tea box green except for inside the A?[[User:Bbrk24|Bbrk24]] ([[User talk:Bbrk24|talk]]) 00:23, 4 May 2016 (UTC)
:It's actually yellow; you may wish to check to see if you are colorblind. There are many errors in filling in spaces that should be colored, though. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.244.79|108.162.244.79]] 01:33, 9 July 2016 (UTC)

This comics have spawned a thread on reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/nkytu/brand_identity/ . It appears there was a '''no-brand car''' i Japan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muji#History /David A [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.33|141.101.80.33]] 05:02, 24 August 2016 (UTC)

The generic milk is in a plain glass or plastic container on the shelves of the grocery section of this store, not in the refrigerated cooler. Milk stocked in this location will spoil rapidly. Only aseptically packaged milk can sit on a warm shelf for extended periods without spoiling. [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]])

What product is [18]? If this contains, as I read, {{w|Cervical cap}}s it makes no sense to sell them in a bulk pack as a cervical cap is a reusable contraceptive device. Or does it refer to [https://www.amazon.com/Gynotex-Dry-Sponge-Tampons-Pack/dp/B00U1K7DH2/ref=lp_12588685011_1_1_a_it?srs=12588685011&ie=UTF8&qid=1487934169&sr=8-1 soft tampons] as menstrual management device? The latter would fit better to the picture, but not to the text... As I am from Germany, I am not familiar with the common products offered in a supermarket. Perhaps anyone can help? --[[User:LaVe|LaVe]] ([[User talk:LaVe|talk]]) 10:59, 24 February 2017 (UTC)
:I agree - that *really* looks like it says "cervical caps". Perhaps he meant menstrual cups? They are similar in appearance, but for capturing blood flow, not for contraception. Some of them are intended for wash & re-use, but others are disposable from month-to-month, justifying the multi-pack.  [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 22:02, 19 November 2022 (UTC)

Why would 6 and 7 be errors when many brands of crackers have multiple flavors with the packaging just changing to show the flavor difference.  [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.231|162.158.62.231]] 13:31, 24 August 2017 (UTC)
 
I would buy clearly labeled "shampoo", "conditioner" etc. The ones sold in the stores where I live list the brand, the product effect, some slogans, what it contains or smells like, some more slogans, bottle volume etc. And in a tiny font somewhere between the lines, the actual product type. :( [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.178|108.162.241.178]] 23:56, 24 October 2017 (UTC)

Apparently, the Pathmark supermarket chain used to employ exactly this strategy: https://www.retroist.com/2018/01/30/no-frills-products-pathmark/ [[Special:Contributions/172.69.54.69|172.69.54.69]] 20:41, 14 March 2018 (UTC)

Why are there so many unreadable ones? There could be Lays and stuff. Maybe Kleenex. But at least put more real brands. Or don't. [[User:StillNotOriginal|Still<sup>Not</sup>]][[User talk:StillNotOriginal|<sup><sub>Original</sub></sup>]] 21:01, 20 May 2018 (UTC)

[http://www.publicgoods.com Public Goods] seems to be the most recent high-profile company to adopt this kind of simplified black-on-white, one-choice-per-product labeling.  Clearly this idea is as old as the hills. In fact, every single commodity product found on shelves in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux Lascaux Caves] is labeled just like this. [[User:Dvgrn|Dvgrn]] ([[User talk:Dvgrn|talk]]) 18:02, 30 August 2019 (UTC)

At the end of 00's, every major chain of convinience stores adopted the idea of "own brand", distinguishable as "outstandingly plain white box" (as seen in Moscow). It all started after Auchat got in Russia, offering "ridiculously" cheap stuff in white boxes with small illustrations and big black text on it. ''Merci beacoup, monseur Auchan''.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.244.55|172.68.244.55]] 12:20, 31 December 2021 (UTC)
* Speaking of Auchan, their "kazhdy den" ("every day" in English) line looks especially bland: [https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EA558itYNw8/maxresdefault.jpg]

And after years of collecting ''actual'' brands that do ''almost'' that, there's now a ''fictional'' occurrence in popular media which implements ''exactly'' this comic's idea: the supermarket in Netflix' 2022 movie [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Noise_(2022_film) White Noise] (see [https://youtu.be/wK0ni47AgRA?t=189 YouTube Featurette at 3:09] for an image). --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.167|198.41.242.167]] 10:11, 11 January 2023 (UTC)