Myths and Iconic Brands

The first official brand in the United States emerged in 1818, and since then nearly 90,000 of them have come and gone.  Today there are 50,000 active brands out of which roughly 5% to 8% will become memorable.  Of those, only a chosen few become iconic.  Like myths, brands that live on to become icons are shared far and wide, and are handed down from generation to generation.  Think of them as brand gods.  They are the Apollos, Neptunes, Hades, and Dionysuses of brand identities.  Although these gods don’t really exist, they represent the immortal truths of human nature.  Iconic brands are no different. 

Today, brand identity and positioning are created through conventual methods of advertising and marketing.  However, many of brands that have reached iconhood in the past had brand identities that were created more by the people using them, than the companies that created them. Vicks VapoRub, Harley Davidson, and Levi Steauss are examples of brand identities that were initially defined in the absence of brand strategy or marketing.  Instead, their growth to greatness was organic in nature as a function of co-creation between brand and culture.

Vicks VapoRub

For nearly 100 years, Vicks VapoRub has been revered by Hispanics everywhere. It can be found in practically every medicine cabinet, nightstand, and vanity of their homes across the United States and Mexico.  Fondly referred to in Mexico as “Vipuro”, the strong eucalyptus-smelling ointment has been prized for its healing properties for just about common ailment under the sun.  It’s endless array of uses including relief from congestion and coughing, cuts, bruises, sprains, headaches, toe fungus, flu, and bug bites.  It’s also used as a face moisturizer, soothing calmative, and sometimes even combined with a little tequila for a digestive.  Bottom line is, like Demeter the Goddess of Motherhood, VapoRub always makes you feel better. 

Shortly after VapoRub began being sold in the United States, Vicks started distributing it in Mexico.  VapoRub was affordable and easily accessible for Mexicans, but most of all, it played into the role held by Mexican mothers. And, because a tightly woven sense of family and community is a hallmark of Hispanic culture, VapoRub quickly spread from home to home throughout Mexico.  Before long, Vicks gained popularity in other Spanish speaking countries.  Today, Vicks VapoRub continues to be a top selling brand among Hispanics with a market share of 95%.  According to Vicks, the smell of VapoRub is the third most recognized worldwide, only after peanut butter and coffee.  Its little blue jar of eucalyptus-scented ointment is immediately recognized and has come to embody the heart and soul of Hispanics everywhere.  For over 100 years, VapoRub has remained a beloved brand.  Few brands have become embedded in culture like VapoRub. 

Levi Strauss

Levi Strauss’s rise to icon stardom was a combination of luck, timing, and a sharp eye for opportunity.  Originally, Levi’s were pants for miners and factory workers who needed a more durable work pant.  Known as waist overalls, they were made of the same hemp canvas typically used for making ship sails.  However, while they were sturdy, these work pants lacked flexibility. Jacob Davis, a tailor who had partnered with Levi Strauss, solved the problem by adding rivets at the at the hips and switching from canvas to denim which was a more flexible fabric.  Back then, pants used for ranch work were made of burlap or wool. Since the bulk of a ranch hand’s day consisted of riding horses and working cattle, the combination of flexibility and durability was a godsend.  Levi’s caught on like wildfire with ranch hands.  These new type of pant made of denim were worn by cowboys everywhere and soon became emblematic for the wild west.

It was sheer serendipity that Levi Strauss created a leather patch with two horses for the original work pants. In the 1940’s, western cinema was quickly becoming all the rage across America.  Because of the grand scale of movie screens, these celluloid cowboys became bigger than life and Americans became enamored with them.  How fortuitous that Levi’s leather patch of cowboys symbolized  American values of rugged independence, a free and untamed spirit, and its hard work ethic. The association was not lost on Levi Strauss.  He immediately began creating ads and promoting the idea that those who wore Levi’s would take on the same qualities as the American cowboy.

No one in the 1960s could have possiblypredicted the immensity of the oncoming cultural revolution.  Led by a new breed of cowboy, the Counterculture was untamable, individualistic, and rebelled against the establishment and fiercely defended freedom of progressive thought.  And they all wore blue jeans. Once again, Levi’s was at the right cultural place at the right time. It was in the perfect position to take advantage of a huge cultural movement in the making.  For the youths of 1960’s America, Levi’s jeans were a visual and easily identifiable way to separate oneself from a fuddy duddy generation of squares and their unprogressive thinking. Perceived as cool, it meant wearing jeans was cool too.  Levi’s flexibility and openness to transformation allowed them to transition from the cowboy image to the closely related personae of “Easy Rider.  Just as importantly, Levi Strauss also put the production of their blue jeans on steroids to meet the burgeoning demand.  

Unlike other companies updated their brands to be in step with the times, Levi’s leather patch has remained unchanged.  For nearly five generations Levi Strauss has kept a firm grasp on its core identity and their website continues to echo the brand’s storied past.  Today Levi’s positions itself as “a brand that epitomizes classic American style and effortless cool”.

Harley Davidson

Few brands have become as legendary as Harley Davidson. It all began when Walter Davidson started tinkering with motorcycles in a small wooden shed.  A motorcycle enthusiastic with a passion for racing motorcycles, Walter came up with a two-cylinder motorcycle and named it “Harley Davidson” after his two other brothers and William Harley. 

Harley Davidson rise to the top is a combination of well-time steppingstones and unfathomable good luck. It began on a small race track where they sponsored “The Wrecking Crew”.  It was a motorcycle racing team who had a reputation for being dare devils.  The next unpredictable step was with Harley being chosen by the military to use in WWll.  Harley Davidson took on the aura of Ares, the god of war, because they were the motorcycle that helped win WWll.  That feat along with being made in America led to a brand associated with American pride.  

Harley’s role in WWII attracted the attention of police departments and soon Harley Davidson was the motorcycle of police departments across the country.  Motorcycle cops typically wore boots, breaches, and saddlebags which gave them a Wild West look. Being that western movies had become highly popular, the general public, particularly young boys, were drawn to the combination of a tough guy motorcycle with the persona of masculine independence as seen in western cinema.  Harley Davidson capitalized on emerging opportunity by selling Harley Davidson clothing and accessories.

The next spin on the Wheel of Fortune was the 1960’s cultural wave of non-conformance.  Harley Davidson, already associated with the wild west outlaw, was in the perfect place to catch the wave of rebellion and ride it all the way to shore. Ironically enough, the motorcycle that only a few years earlier, suddenly became been associated with motorcycle cops.  And Harley sales continued to rise.

However, Harley’s biggest stroke of luck was “Easy Rider”.  The movie became an incredible nation-wide sensation and brought Harley Davidson along for the ride.  Most brands would have been mortified at the thought of being associated with two weed smoking renegade hippies with questionable values, but for Harley Davidson it was solid gold. Once again, Harley downshifted and punched through the stratosphere of cool. And once again, sales of Harley Davidsons rocketed to new heights.

Harley’s meteoric rise was also fueled by Sturgis Rallies.  Motorcyclists were captivated by Sturgis where over half of the attendees rode a Harley.  These were hard-core motorcyclists who traveled in packs and Harley Davidson became associated with camaraderie. It was a value that easily fused with Harley’s existing traits and symbols. These qualities eventually solidified into a badge signaling that anyone on a Harley was welcome to join them even if that rider was a complete stranger.  In other words, riding a Harley meant “you’re one of us”.

This year marks its 120^th anniversary since the first Harley Davidson hit the road. Although Harley Davidson faces plenty of competition, no motorcycle can compete with what Harley Davidson has come to symbolize in the American culture.  Fiercely independent, unyieldingly individualistic, and an intense comradery of shared values are still seen as the foundation on which America was built. When it comes to that, no motorcycle can even come close to taking Harley Davidson’s iconic crown. 

The Surprising Success of Iconic Brands

Despite their humble beginnings and starting out in the absence of marketing, advertising, brand insight or strategy, these brands managed to reach icon hood.  Of course, advertising and market eventually took the wheel and guided these brands to success, but the identities of some of the most iconic brands were organically created by the people that used them.  

The Immorality of a Brand God

Iconic brands behave in much the same way as myths.  The meanings that symbolized a Greek god were created and expressed by the people who then turned them symbols that reflected their values and beliefs  Think of Dionysus as a brand god.  He was associated with revery, fertility and abundance which was gained cultural prevalence through high-octane festivals, celebrations and banquets. He also often showed up as what could be considered a product placement in many of the Greek plays . His “logo” consisted of grape clusters, a pinecone staff, wine cup, and panther.  Innumerable artifacts throughout the antiquities such pottery, jewelry, sculptures, and architectural elements contain the symbols that represent Dionysius. 

The Alchemy of Dionysus

Dionysus rose to become an iconic Greek god because, while he reflected culture and human condition of the time, people could make adjustments to what he represented along with cultural shifts and change.  The violence of invasions and wars were commonplace.  Death was around every corner in the form of plagues, diseases, illness, and injuries.  Dionysus represented death and rebirth.  He stood for the exuberance of life in the face of tragedy.  This was a god who flipped the bird at death.  Although his attributes were modified during times of cultural change, his core identity remained intact.  Three thousand years later the symbols by which he was recognized remain.

What Alchemies Have In Common

What iconic brands and myths have in common is an organic evolution of identity with co-created meanings. When a culture has a hand in creating identity, it contains part of themselves.  And something that contains part of oneself is not easily abandoned. 

Brands stand a better chance of becoming an icon when a company stays aware of cultural change and the ways in which a brand meaning is modified by a culture undergoing change. It’s opportunity for meaningful transformation driven by a significant cultural   shift without losing what’s at the brand’s core.   While the chances of becoming an iconic brand are slim, taking a page out of the myth-making playbook can better the chances of a brand to enter the halls of iconic fame.

The Immorality of a Brand God

Myths behave in much the same way, and the rise to icon by brands like Vicks VapoRub, Levi Strauss, and Harley Davidson parallels that of the Greek gods and legends.  Think of the Greek god Dionysus as a brand god.  His logo consists of grape clusters, pinecone staff, wine cup, and panther.  Innumerable artifacts throughout the antiquities such pottery, jewelry, sculptures, and architectural elements contain the symbols that represent Dionysius. He also often showed up as a product placement in many Greek plays.  This brand god was associated with revery, fertility and abundance which was expressed through the cultural prevalence of high-octane festivals, celebrations and banquets. An extension of the attribute of abundance was the power to inspire and create extasy as evidenced by the copious number of tragedies and comedies that were central to Greek festivals.

Dionysus and His Alchemy

The creation of Dionysus tapped into and reflected culture and human condition in those times.   Violence of invasions and wars were commonplace.  Death was around every corner in the form of plagues, diseases, and injuries and more.  Dionysus came to represent death and rebirth.  Through him people shared and expressed an exuberance of life in the face of tragedy.  Dionysus flipped the bird at death  As culture shifted and transitioned, people were able to modify the meaning of Dionysus and his symbols to reflect it.  Still, his central identity remained intact and the symbols by which he is identified remained unchanged.

Iconic Brands Are Co-Created

What iconic brands and myths have in common is an organic evolution of identity.   Whether god or brand, their enduring meanings are co-created. When a culture has a hand in creating a brand identity, it contains part of themselves. And something that contains part of oneself is not easily abandoned. 

A brand will stand a better chance of becoming an icon when a company stays aware of how a brand’s identity is modified in times of cultural change.  Seize the opportunity to allow your brand to align itself without losing core identity by taking a page out of the myth making playbook.  With a little luck, your brand just may be the next brand god to enter the halls of iconic fame.