To many streetwear aficionados, the name Freshjive conjures up some of the hardest working designers and and innovators in the business. For over 20 years, Freshjive has been stocking skate shops and streetwear boutiques with their signature looks, often sporting one of the most recognizable logos of the 90’s. However, all of that is about to change as Freshjive embarks upon one of the world’s first anti-branding campaigns, in which they will be stripping their logos from not just the outside of their garments, but from the labels themselves. Rick Klotz, the owner and designer for Freshjive states disillusionment with the world of branding and marketing and a desire to return to the essence of the design practice as reason for this bold new move.
In an exclusive interview with the Hundreds streetwear blog, Klotz states:
“Throughout the years I’ve become uncomfortable with this business of branding and brand identity. I’m not the type of person that buys something for the brand name. I’ve also never done a very good job at creating a captivating identity to our own brand logo. Also, within the streetwear culture, the promotion of a company’s brand has become downright silly to me. What’s amusing is I still really enjoy designing gear, graphics, and even logos. But when I see kids wearing company logos it reminds of people who are trying to be a part of a “tribe” or “gang”, as if they need to be part of something, which seems to go against the idea of individualism in style.”
To take this project to a new level, Klotz will also strip the Freshjive website of all logos as well, but he admits that the label will still be called Freshjive and continue to be sold at the same retail outlets. Though he doesn’t admit it outright, one thinks that the recent (illegal) appropriation of iconic streetwear brand’s images to sell counterfeit and inferior goods may be the reason for Klotz to take such a drastic step to take back his own company’s image. However, in typical punk rock attitude, Klotz seems to warn other labels not to rest on the laurel’s of their own iconic brands logos or they leave themselves open to becoming a parody, perhaps by Klotz himself:
“the Freshjive name is forever defunct. But I still design logos in the t shirt line. But the logos are single designs within the line, usually designed to communicate a certain thought provoking idea. You can’t discount the power of a logo in the market. Now I’m just dropping our own logo, and then occasionally appropriating the power of someone else’s logo to communicate a new message. So to the brand building community: Careful when building an influential logo, as I just might use that influence through some further graphic manipulation, and throw it back out into the market like a brick bashing through a window.”
Though we have no doubt that Freshjive will still be welcomed with open arms by retailers and fans as always, this step may make it hard for Freshjive to hold on to newer shoppers who aren’t familiar with Klotz’s ethos or even what distinguishes the clothes from others once the logos are gone. However, though incredibly simple there is something elegant about the plain black labels inside the new garments- which may come to be Freshjive’s new logo whether Klotz intended it to be or not.
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I understand what they are trying to do, and as cynical as I am, I can see there is more to it than simply a publicity stunt. But is it really possible to un-brand? It just feels like re-branding. Everyone will still know it and refer to it as Freshjive, and hundreds of clothing companies have logos that are not their brand names. A logo is simply the easily recognised mark of a brand, branding goes much deeper. This exercise feels like they are just redesigning their logo.
P.s I really like the new logo. Simple and clean.
August 12th, 2009 at 8:48 am
I, too, love their new logo. The clean white box and black background is distinct and synonymous with the brand’s character. Excellent play against the category that is moving towards more floral patterns influenced by tattoos.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:22 am
I, too, love their new logo. The clean white box and black background is distinct and synonymous with the brand’s character. Excellent play against a category that is moving towards floral patterns influenced by tattoos.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:22 am
It seems like they’re taking on Muji’s philosophy. And to some degree, I agree with Tom above.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Like other commenters have intimated, it’s not “no logo,” it’s a logo that’s a white square outline on black. Especially once it moved from interior and shopping labels to the exterior of the clothing.
August 12th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Freshjive may have gone Logoless, but not Brandless.
Brand identity serves as a navigation system, allowing consumers to identify one product from another. Obviously, as others have commented, Freshjive’s white frame/box is, in itself, a logo. They are in fact, branding themselves as the anti brand.
The brand isn’t what it claims to be. It’s the experience that is delivered.
Mark Gallagher
Brand Expressionist®
BLACKCOFFEE
August 12th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Love the philosophy, but let’s not call this logo-less or anti-branding. End of the day, a brand is about personality and freshjive definitely will retain this.
August 12th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
I wonder how this compares to Adbuster’s anti-brand sneaker project. The sneakers have been on the market for years. https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/blackspot
August 12th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Yeah i could not agree more, essentially the minimalist black and white box is NOW their logo. You simply cannot un-brand yourself.
August 12th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Well, that they are not using a an icon/bug in their mark doesn’t mean that they don’t have a logo, the fact that they are using a specific typeface for their name, it becomes a logotype. As far as branding, the simplistic bare bones approach now becomes their brand and brand strategy more than anything, since ultimately your brand is the sum of your communications and how your audience perceives and talks about your products. So definitely a brilliant RE-brand and a more brilliant PR campaign. Kudos to their design, advertising and pr teams.
August 12th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
This is like when Pepsi did clear cola. It sounds good in theory but practically it doesn’t make sense. It goes back to when people who couldn’t spell would sign X on documents. This, in essence is the un-cola or a big X expression. Good branding if you ask me.
August 13th, 2009 at 2:19 am
This is like when Pepsi did clear cola. It sounds good in theory but practically does it make sense? It goes back to when people who couldn’t spell would sign X on documents. This, in essence is the un-cola or a big X expression.
August 13th, 2009 at 2:20 am
Agree with Tom and Mark – and I wonder what Klotz thinks about if/when somebody else started to use a black square device, selling similar products that started to eat into their market, they’d sue..?
August 13th, 2009 at 6:20 am
Very good comments here about my company’s change. Hope to see more good dialogue. And I am still waiting for an interview that will ask me about the label being branding in itself. Yes it is. I am aware it’s not a “pure” non branding move. But I still believe the process of taking the logo/name off the labels (while still retaining the label) is a step in a good direction, and in the least creates awareness and further critique of the issue. At least for me as a designer, it’s “freed” me of the necessity to think of HOW to logo our product, as in my business it seems that it always takes priority when finishing a design.
rick@freshjive.net
August 13th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Anyone who believes this is going “brandless” is in the wrong profession. Brand is so much more than a logo. It is the product, and whatever identifies the authenticity of the product is the branding. The creativity in the approach will get Freshjive attention, and hopefully for them it is one that will endure. Was it necessary? No. Is it a good move? Only time and dollars will tell.
But, if it is being done to battle the fight of knock-offs… Wrong direction. Try battling an intellectual property suit where the absence of logo is the brand. Any good designer, brand manager, or marketer would have known to let the logo live on and take proper measures to battle the knock-offs.
No offense Rick, I may not entirely understand all your intentions in this move. Just pointing out that when you believe logo slapping = branding, you’re looking in the wrong places.
August 13th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
The founder of A.P.C Jean Touitou had the same feelings about branding in the 80’s…this is not a ‘fresh’ concept.
August 13th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Big Ups To Freshjive its true brand logos are dead as hell, thats the last thing somebody wants to get caught in now days.
August 14th, 2009 at 3:11 am
Obviously, Freshjive isn’t the first company in the history of the world to eschew plastering their products with logos. But it’s important to look at what they’re doing in the context of streetwear – where a lot of the products (t-shirts, fitted New Era caps) are identical except for the logos. Branding is everything in streetwear, which makes this a good move for Freshjive.
August 14th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Isn’t the square replacing the logo still a logo? Is it copyrighted?
Some may call it minimalism
August 14th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
about to go broke :(
August 16th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Seems to be working so far, they got people talking about it and sometime that’s all that matters. I don’t know if they will get many new customers but I’m sure there repeat buyers should stick around because they know the quality of the product already. Seems like an innovative idea especially for retaining customers and developing a new brand in the process.
August 17th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
They aren’t copyrighting the square. Thats the point. And a square with a line isn’t a logo, identity or anything at all. It’s hardly branding when its on the inside of the shirt. It’s not as though they are gonna make a giant graphic tee with it. I see many can’t read, comprehend or interpret in a critical manner at all.
August 17th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
I file this under the WGASWGAF. Do they think anyone will really care 6 months down the line? And 12 months down the line I bet you see their name worked in there.
Maybe I’m not hip enough anymore, but I’ve never heard of them and now by the time I’ve reached the bottom of the page, I can’t even remember their name.
August 17th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
An efficient logo design can do this for him. Logo is known to have the ability to position the brand in the market that proves beneficial and creates a brand image and identity. Business owners should readily go for this strategy as people identify the brand and relate to it by relating to the logo that it carries.
August 19th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Thanks for sharing your knowledge
August 21st, 2009 at 9:11 am
What a bunch of retards. Conformist conforming to non-conformity.
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:58 pm
If you’re so “disillusioned” with branding, go work a 9-5 office job and be miserable like everyone else. Freakin’ crybabies. I will never buy anything from these “everything’s lame, everything sucks” hypocrites.
August 22nd, 2009 at 11:01 pm