Approaching this in a different way, not the class schism, but the universal inner void that needs to be filled. Super brands is a nice method of considering religion, the logo for most religions is obvious and apparent. The Christian cross is the most obvious symbol that readily translates into the historic equivalent of a Nike swoosh. What the study seems to point out is that the void only has space for religion or brand loyalty. Are there examples of individuals that are able to hold the strong belief and frevent brand dedication?
In Shanghai the physical facade of luxury brands this year has risen to five or six stories. Previously the storefront of Gucci or Vuitton and company was a street level layer, they have been rebuilt this year to ornate, almost Islamic style geometric patterning at a huge physical scale. The interesting comparison of weakness of religion and strength of brands in China would be a nice subject of study and dovetails with the study’s conclusions.
The obvious super brand that has the immediate religion elements is Apple. It has a pope, arguably bishops, churches, even cathedrals in some cases (google the shanghai apple flagship store) a priesthood in the trained genuises, and in the iTunes software has an analog for the church service itself, or perhaps confessional. I just turned over the iPad I am writing this on to remind myself of the laser cut representation of original sin on the back. (to further the analogy, no pope can tolerate pornography in his church)
Interesting in this study is the psycho-stencil that we have inside us for fulfillment and the way that branding mirrors what religion discovered centuries ago.
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