The Branding of War?

Face it, there’s something hip about certain logos and slogans, such as Harley Davidson and the Hells Angels. But let’s be honest, there are some logos and brands you just don’t want to mess with, like the Harley Davidson and Hells Angels logos.

Why then do people find it compelling to lift military logos and slogans from the U.S. Military? Maybe, just maybe, it’s because regardless of who produces them and who lifts them (and how they’re used, no less), these logos and brands are highly profitable.

And, once again, as with many appropriation artists, lifting pre-designed and super-cool designs is easy and saves one the time and effort of having to produce one’s own.

Thoughts? Here’s a NY Times article from today touching on this topic. Thanks to our good friend, Erica Love, for the heads-up on this one.

Tags: art, branding, design, logos, military, ny times, trademarks