Like me: Our bond with brands

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Like me: Our bond with brands opens at the Design Museum, London on September 19 2015

Branding pioneer Lippincott, the creative consultancy behind the Coca-Cola ribbon, the Campbell's soup label and the latest Starbucks siren, has curated an exhibition to examine the power of the bond between people and brands.

Like me: Our bond with brands shows the pervasiveness of brands while reassessing the roles we each play in their creation. The Design Museum, the world's leading museum dedicated to contemporary design, hosts the exhibition from September 19-27 as part of the London Design Festival. A private viewing and networking event featuring a panel of brand experts will be held on September 22.

While Lippincott has been building some of the world's best brands for more than 70 years, the landscape has evolved. Today, brand has become bigger than a name or a logo and more than a marketing gimmick. And contrary to common belief, the power dynamic between people and brands can be as much about ours over them as theirs over us. This interactive exhibition, exploring Starbucks, The Hunger Games, and everything in between, encourages visitors to ask: who's branding who?

"As human beings, we are hard-wired to simplify a complicated world around us, believe in things bigger than ourselves, and belong in groups that help identify us," said Simon Glynn, Senior Partner and Lippincott's Director of Europe and the Middle East. "Like me will leave visitors with a new understanding of how brand meets these human needs - as well the role they themselves play in bringing brands to life."

Would Jay Z's songs still pack a punch without their brand-led lyrics? How much would you pay for a piece of George Clooney? How does Grumpy Cat represent the irony of today's brand tribes? And perhaps most importantly, what does brand mean to you? Like me: Our bond with brands asks these questions and more, transforming the Museum's 1.5 Gallery into a commentary, critique and celebration of the world of brand.

"People often think branding is created by marketing wizardry rather than their own need to be involved in some magic," said Lee Coomber, Senior Partner and Lippincott's European Creative Director. "This exhibition promises to shine a spotlight on a side of brands rarely seen."

Josephine Chanter, Head of Communications and External Affairs for the Design Museum, commented: "The relationship design has to brand is endlessly fascinating for the museum. In the 21st Century, as sophisticated consumers we increasingly demand more design from our brands and design is seen by companies as a vehicle to enhance profitability. Design connects us with brands, as Trustee John Hegarty says, 'all information goes in through the heart.'"