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Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers
Generation Y has grown up in an age of the brand, bombarded by name products. In Branded, Alissa Quart illuminates the unsettling new reality of marketing to teenagers, as well as the quieter but no less worrisome forms of teen branding: the teen consultants who work for corporations in exchange for product; the girls obsessed with cosmetic surgery who will do anything to look like women on TV; and those teens simply obsessed with admission into a name-brand college. We also meet the pockets of kids attempting to turn the tables on the cocksure corporations that so cynically strive to manipulate them. Chilling, thought-provoking, even darkly amusing, Branded brings one of the most disturbing and least talked about results of contemporary business and culture to the fore-and ensures that we will never look at today's youth the same way again.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
15 people are currently reading
549 people want to read
About the author
Alissa Quart
13 books127 followersAlissa Quart is the executive editor of the journalism non-profit Economic Hardship Reporting Project. She co-founded its current incarnation with Barbara Ehrenreich. She is also the author of four previous acclaimed books, “Branded,’’ “Republic of Outsiders,’’ “Hothouse Kids’’ and the poetry book “Monetized.’’ She writes the Outclassed column for The Guardian and has published features and reported commentary in many magazines and newspapers, most recently for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Nation and The New York Review of Books. She has won the Columbia Journalism School’s 2018 Alumni Award and the LA Press Club Award for Commentary, was a 2010 Nieman fellow at Harvard University, and has been nominated for an Emmy and a National Magazine Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
May 31, 2016
"Branded" is a book that is not only offensive, but written very poorly. The book, written by Alissa Quart, informs people on the issue of tween and teen branding in today's society. According to "Branded", teens nowadays are highly influenced by the media and are robots to the industry. Although, this may be true for some teens and teens, I personally feel like the author acts as if we are unable to think for ourselves. Most people, my age, that I know do not shop immensely from stores such as Gucci or Prada. I can agree with the fact that teens will do a lot to get into their top college, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The exaggeration in this book is ridiculous. The other readers on Goodreads seemed to agree with me. Many of them complained about the writing style of "Branded" and rated it a low amount of stars. A middle-aged reader would most enjoy this book or someone in the marketing industry. I would not reccommend this book to any teens or tweens.
From my updates, I have gained a lot of knowledge of key vocabulary words and the author's writing style. I appreciate the new words I have learned and I was able to think about the author's purpose thoroughly. The author's purpose/writing style was a big weakness in this book because she switched from topic to topic without fully going over one key idea. Because this book was nonfiction, there was not any poetry or characters, but many facts squeezed in. The information was helpful in learning about how the clothing and product industry markets to teens, but the author's own perspective was taken too far, making this a weakness. All in all, I did not appreciate this book, but some points were somewhat factual. "Branded" is taken from a different perspective.
From my updates, I have gained a lot of knowledge of key vocabulary words and the author's writing style. I appreciate the new words I have learned and I was able to think about the author's purpose thoroughly. The author's purpose/writing style was a big weakness in this book because she switched from topic to topic without fully going over one key idea. Because this book was nonfiction, there was not any poetry or characters, but many facts squeezed in. The information was helpful in learning about how the clothing and product industry markets to teens, but the author's own perspective was taken too far, making this a weakness. All in all, I did not appreciate this book, but some points were somewhat factual. "Branded" is taken from a different perspective.
October 29, 2015
To be completely honest, the book Branded by Alissa Quart drove me insane. Because I am a teenager, I feel the way she ridicules teens, in general, is extremely insulting. I can’t speak for everyone, but we have minds of our own. Other reviewers on Goodreads, mostly adults, have the same opinion which was really surprising. Also, the author’s style of writing was all over the place. In one paragraph, she would be talking about how buyers are being brain washed, the next how she personally doesn’t buy from big brands. It makes me want to go crazy. A combination of a highly opinionated author and terrible writing strategy is what makes this book so aggravating. Despite all my negatives on this book, there are some very interesting facts about teenagers exploiting themselves online and off. Nude webcam chats, unnecessary plastic surgery and inappropriate posts online are just a few examples. This is actually very disturbing to read about so if you can’t handle that level of intensity, I would stay away from this book. One quote from the book was, "The girl who chooses cosmetic surgery chooses obsession with the body and mastery over it rather than an attempt at the transcendence that means forgetting the body." I agree with this quote but am a little fuzzy with it. Everyone has insecurities and at the same time no one can just forget them. An example she used in the book was that girls would flash certain body parts for money or gifts online. This makes we want to vomit. She explained psychologists find that girls do this because they feel insecure. This makes total sense in the way that getting money or gifts because they find your body “pleasing” makes you feel good. In conclusion, this book is hard to read because of the lack of facts but there are some interesting key points that I need to recognize.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2007
To be blunt, this book has many things wrong with it. The premise that teens are being exploited by corporate advertising agencies is quickly abandoned and Alissa Quart reaches out at various other angles to try and drive her point home. These various other angles are, by and large, irrelevant.
The first section focuses on advertisers reaching out to the 'tween' market by offering them free swag in order for their input on the company's latest goods. This causes the kid to have an strong attachment for the company they're 'working' for, and thus, branding. But then the book begins to nose dive... Quart goes on to argue that teen movies are now also equally responsible for branding through their use of make overs as a way to reach the 'in' crowd. I don't think anyone would deny that advertisers have found their way to weasel themselves ad space on the big screen, but this is hardly branding. Suggestion, sure, but aside from the gullible teens or 'tweens' that are now going to drink Pepsi because they saw Kirsten Dunst do it in a movie, I don't see any real forcefulness on the part of the ad companies.
The following self-branding section is even more absurd. Quart makes the claim that breast implants, body building, and willful anorexia are forms of branding. I can see these as perceived forms of self-betterment, but not branding. Perhaps 'the media' is causing a heightened awareness of these factors, but getting your boobs done is not a form of corporate branding; the name of the silicone providers company does not become embedded in your flesh after the operation. In a section titled 'self-branding', I am confused at how she could have failed to talk about the topic in its most obvious form: tattoos.
Quart also ventures that choosing what university you will attend is a form of self branding. This seems logical: plenty of parents try to establish a form of 'legacy' and encourage their kids into going to their own alma mater from infancy. This isn't the angle observed here. Rather, Quart argues that it's the child's insistence on having a tutor or the drive for higher and higher SAT scores that... what? Leads to branding? Is this condemnation for extra effort? This one really fell flat for me.
Oh, care to write a blog or memoir? That's out too. This type of self branding is really just a way to sell your soul and youthfulness to literary agents, so scrap that idea. While Quart dismisses most teen writers, she takes a strong liking to JT Leroy claiming, "Of course, some of the new teen writing is actually impressive", while not distinguishing him or his writing in any way from the others, save for his radical story about being a cross-dressing 'street hustler'. She makes him out to be the Jandek of literature. I think we're all over that one...
In the last section, titled 'unbranding', Quart attempts to show kids who have grown wise to advertiser's claims and are taking a stand against it. Unfortunately in doing so, she brands the kids herself. These are the 'DIY kids'; you know, the ones who are, to quote, "clad in Converse sneakers and the typical shabby shirt from the Salvation Army". It's also typical of these kids to be home schooled or 'unschooled', a practice Quart deems "bohemian". Grades and college, we learn, are only for the branded masses.
To top it off, Quart can't seem to simply talk about the subject matter but finds the need to reflect upon her own adolescence through out the book. At one point she actually moans, "As so many girls do now, I might also trade my clumsy, inverted bookishness, body obscured under a plaid shirt that smells like patchouli and dust, and hair hanging blackly over my eyes for what would appear on the surface to be radiant, adult sexuality". Give me a fucking break. Go home, crawl up next to your year book, listen to The Cure and don't write another book until you can get over the other kids teasing you on the playground for being so tragically... "different".
The first section focuses on advertisers reaching out to the 'tween' market by offering them free swag in order for their input on the company's latest goods. This causes the kid to have an strong attachment for the company they're 'working' for, and thus, branding. But then the book begins to nose dive... Quart goes on to argue that teen movies are now also equally responsible for branding through their use of make overs as a way to reach the 'in' crowd. I don't think anyone would deny that advertisers have found their way to weasel themselves ad space on the big screen, but this is hardly branding. Suggestion, sure, but aside from the gullible teens or 'tweens' that are now going to drink Pepsi because they saw Kirsten Dunst do it in a movie, I don't see any real forcefulness on the part of the ad companies.
The following self-branding section is even more absurd. Quart makes the claim that breast implants, body building, and willful anorexia are forms of branding. I can see these as perceived forms of self-betterment, but not branding. Perhaps 'the media' is causing a heightened awareness of these factors, but getting your boobs done is not a form of corporate branding; the name of the silicone providers company does not become embedded in your flesh after the operation. In a section titled 'self-branding', I am confused at how she could have failed to talk about the topic in its most obvious form: tattoos.
Quart also ventures that choosing what university you will attend is a form of self branding. This seems logical: plenty of parents try to establish a form of 'legacy' and encourage their kids into going to their own alma mater from infancy. This isn't the angle observed here. Rather, Quart argues that it's the child's insistence on having a tutor or the drive for higher and higher SAT scores that... what? Leads to branding? Is this condemnation for extra effort? This one really fell flat for me.
Oh, care to write a blog or memoir? That's out too. This type of self branding is really just a way to sell your soul and youthfulness to literary agents, so scrap that idea. While Quart dismisses most teen writers, she takes a strong liking to JT Leroy claiming, "Of course, some of the new teen writing is actually impressive", while not distinguishing him or his writing in any way from the others, save for his radical story about being a cross-dressing 'street hustler'. She makes him out to be the Jandek of literature. I think we're all over that one...
In the last section, titled 'unbranding', Quart attempts to show kids who have grown wise to advertiser's claims and are taking a stand against it. Unfortunately in doing so, she brands the kids herself. These are the 'DIY kids'; you know, the ones who are, to quote, "clad in Converse sneakers and the typical shabby shirt from the Salvation Army". It's also typical of these kids to be home schooled or 'unschooled', a practice Quart deems "bohemian". Grades and college, we learn, are only for the branded masses.
To top it off, Quart can't seem to simply talk about the subject matter but finds the need to reflect upon her own adolescence through out the book. At one point she actually moans, "As so many girls do now, I might also trade my clumsy, inverted bookishness, body obscured under a plaid shirt that smells like patchouli and dust, and hair hanging blackly over my eyes for what would appear on the surface to be radiant, adult sexuality". Give me a fucking break. Go home, crawl up next to your year book, listen to The Cure and don't write another book until you can get over the other kids teasing you on the playground for being so tragically... "different".
April 1, 2010
Really this was more of a 2.5 for me, but since I read it pretty quickly I decided to bump it up to a 3 rather than down to a 2 -- it obviously kept my attention.
It's interesting to read this book -- published in 2003 -- now. A scant seven years later, many of Quart's worries seem downright prosaic. Taking it as what it is though, some of her analysis is rather prescient -- she foretells the memoir craze and the rise of Super Sweet Sixteens pretty accurately. You have to think she could expand this now with a second volume looking at the rise of both web-based marketing ("friending" brands on Facebook and Twitter) and self-marketing ("street style" websites, MySpace, really anything teens do online). Or just reality TV -- I mean sheesh, from American Idol to Laguna Beach and its myriad offspring, the teensploitation doesn't stop.
In any event, as a chronicle of marketers' love affair with teens and tweens (and in many cases, their reciprocity) at the dawn of the twenty-first century, this book isn't too bad. There are many times when Quart gets a bit repetitive and predictable, often when she comes down too hard on the side of kids not knowing what's best for them. Yes, there are limits to kids' savvy when it comes to understanding advertisements, or the consequences of their own actions; at the same time however, part of growing up is making mistakes and learning from them, and there are very real limits to how much we can "protect" kids and teens. My biggest issue with this book though was my goodness did it need a better copy editor -- it was so unbelievably rife with copy errors (e.g. missing words, extra words) you'd think Alloy had put it out.
It's interesting to read this book -- published in 2003 -- now. A scant seven years later, many of Quart's worries seem downright prosaic. Taking it as what it is though, some of her analysis is rather prescient -- she foretells the memoir craze and the rise of Super Sweet Sixteens pretty accurately. You have to think she could expand this now with a second volume looking at the rise of both web-based marketing ("friending" brands on Facebook and Twitter) and self-marketing ("street style" websites, MySpace, really anything teens do online). Or just reality TV -- I mean sheesh, from American Idol to Laguna Beach and its myriad offspring, the teensploitation doesn't stop.
In any event, as a chronicle of marketers' love affair with teens and tweens (and in many cases, their reciprocity) at the dawn of the twenty-first century, this book isn't too bad. There are many times when Quart gets a bit repetitive and predictable, often when she comes down too hard on the side of kids not knowing what's best for them. Yes, there are limits to kids' savvy when it comes to understanding advertisements, or the consequences of their own actions; at the same time however, part of growing up is making mistakes and learning from them, and there are very real limits to how much we can "protect" kids and teens. My biggest issue with this book though was my goodness did it need a better copy editor -- it was so unbelievably rife with copy errors (e.g. missing words, extra words) you'd think Alloy had put it out.
May 25, 2011
I taught this book to my class. They hated it because it was boring. I hated it because it was boring and pedantic. She makes her point initially at the beginning, then keeps reiterating it without advancing it in any meaningful way. It was a torturous read. I actually cancelled finishing the book in the class because it was a miserable read. Quart might be a good journalist, but that doesn't mean that she can write a book.
May 21, 2018
You may believe that what you wear does not define you, but in reality it can tell someone all about you or how you should be judged. The book Branded describes the reality of marketing to teens. Stating that certain clothes you own make you you or getting surgeries also define you. This book states facts about society that may manipulate the youth and how marketers will try to appeal to them. In the beginning, they describe teens and how they are “branded”. At the end of the book, Alissa Quart describes the certain population of teens that choose a name for themselves.
This book had the more weaknesses than strengths. At points the information the author wrote was a little intriguing. Reading the viewpoints of teenagers and how they stray away or stick with society was interesting. On the other hand, there was many times where I lost my place because I was bored of the book. This book was mostly made up of just hardcore facts. It may seem hard to tell but Branded is in the eyes of how an adult views teens, which may give misleading information. She mainly focuses on the negative aspects of teens and not giving enough light to how teens are not brainless people. For me, this was a hard book to read since it was not eye catching enough as well as some facts were not facts but they were more like opinions of older people.
Other people on goodreads have written their views on how they disagree with the author and say it is poorly written. I agree with that because the author does portray teenagers nowadays as brainwashed and act like robots in society. This thought is what many other good read reviews had said as well as how some information is misleading or can be proven wrong very easily. For example, Quart says that tweens are easily fooled and will follow all advertisements they see or advertising in movies as well. This “fact” can easily be disproven; just because some tween saw some actress in a movie drinking Pepsi does not mean they are going to drink it (this example was from one of the review’s from Dina). Another thing that people saw as wrong in the book was how kids were forcing their parents to get them designer items like Gucci or Prada. This is not true because not many parents would be willing to do that and many teens would not view that as a necessity.
This book had the more weaknesses than strengths. At points the information the author wrote was a little intriguing. Reading the viewpoints of teenagers and how they stray away or stick with society was interesting. On the other hand, there was many times where I lost my place because I was bored of the book. This book was mostly made up of just hardcore facts. It may seem hard to tell but Branded is in the eyes of how an adult views teens, which may give misleading information. She mainly focuses on the negative aspects of teens and not giving enough light to how teens are not brainless people. For me, this was a hard book to read since it was not eye catching enough as well as some facts were not facts but they were more like opinions of older people.
Other people on goodreads have written their views on how they disagree with the author and say it is poorly written. I agree with that because the author does portray teenagers nowadays as brainwashed and act like robots in society. This thought is what many other good read reviews had said as well as how some information is misleading or can be proven wrong very easily. For example, Quart says that tweens are easily fooled and will follow all advertisements they see or advertising in movies as well. This “fact” can easily be disproven; just because some tween saw some actress in a movie drinking Pepsi does not mean they are going to drink it (this example was from one of the review’s from Dina). Another thing that people saw as wrong in the book was how kids were forcing their parents to get them designer items like Gucci or Prada. This is not true because not many parents would be willing to do that and many teens would not view that as a necessity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2018
In Branded: The Buying And Selling Of Teenagers, Alyssa Quarts analytical approach to her book regarding the branding and selling of teenagers opened my eyes to a new perspective regarding the world of television, advertisements, literary arts, and more. Throughout the majority of Quarts analytic text, the style of analysis she utilizes, to incorporate statistics, reeled me into her opinion regarding her hatred for branding. Whilst reading each chapter on how the world implements branding within teenagers, I couldn't agree more with the arguments she put into view. The world has become captivated by businesses and advertisers and the various products, clothes, and ideas they spur into the brains of teenagers. As Quart argues, branding has truly gone to great lengths to develop cradle-to-grave brand loyalty to consumers to better their sales and stores. They take advantage of adolescents for their own superior causes and brainwash them to conform with society's views on how a teen should “look” and “act” without taking into account the circumstances of such branding. Such circumstances have a vast impact on the emotional and physical welfare of hundreds of teenagers, as Quart analyzes, many teens “feel they have a lack that only superbranding will cover over and insure against social ruin” (Quart 23). These advertising brands, among the most famous such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Prada, Delia*s, and J. Crew, have keyed into the minds of teenagers and made them believe it was a necessity to look just like the models in their ads. This leaves such teenagers in an obsession to copy them and creates a priority to centralize the idea of branding within their minds, as Quart repeatedly expresses, “for the simple reason that tweens are desperate to be liked” (Quart 64). It is morally wrong for these advertisers and branding agents to continue to manipulate children in these ways, they coax them into buying their products with no real benefits. Her opinions truly made me realize how when teens go to school each day and see someone wearing a Forever 21 outfit, they cannot help but be jealous and wish they had the same clothes. I not only see branding enveloping my brain from popular peers, but when viewing ads on any form of technology, I cannot help but also feel some type of envy for the models and wish I could use the mascara they are using for their luscious lashes. Quarts arguments made me realize that branding makes it almost impossible to discover your true self because of the social pressures they inflict on the lives of the younger generation.
Although Quarts arguments bashing branding appeals to my opinion and how it impacts the world, I do believe that some branding truly is necessary, before even reading her book. Quart expresses repeatedly that branding is all in all degrading, and is only utilized to use their customers, but in reality many branding strategies are for a beneficial purpose and many are also marketed responsibly. Like in her chapter “Logo U,” Quart believes that tutoring centers were established to reel in students for outrageous class prices to obtain insane profits without necessarily improving a child’s SAT or ACT scores. Personally, these tutoring centers are targeted to improve the capacity of a teens mind and truly help them succeed with their test scores, as I am one of these kids and have improved tremendously from their aid in the ACT. I do not believe they have reeled me in just for the purpose of obtaining money from my family, but to truly improve my education.
My genuine reaction for Quarts book was shocking. Generally, I was expecting Quart to analyze the branding of teenagers in a more narrative style, but the book was revolved around her ability to pull quotes, data, and information of the real world to further her argument and her hatred for branding. Initially I believed her writing style would be a boring non-fiction book, simply listing statistics that generally do not appeal to me. However, whilst reading, Quart’s ability to relate her statistics to her arguments opened my eyes to how these examples applied to the real world and how I see branding every day. Also, one of Quarts most prominent rhetorical strategies that stood out to me was her utilization of imagery to describe average teenagers and how they dresses and looked. For each child she interviewed in her book, I could visualize them within my mind and many of them reminded me of myself, enabling me to relate to their experiences with branding, and further captivated me in Quarts book. One strategy that would have been more appealing if Quart had implemented it in her writing, would have been to input graphs and pictures that would have provided her readers with a better representation of the argument she was trying to emmitt. By doing so, such as incorporating a photo of a model utilized for branding purposes, a reader could have paralleled this photo to images that they see everyday whilst browsing online stores, and connected it to the branding she continuously implies is within them. Nevertheless, Quarts ability to write such a moving non-fiction book with various examples allowed me to realize how they connected to my own personal life and persuaded me to view branding in a more negative way, than positive.
This book overall was not necessarily entertaining, but did provide useful information that will forever be branded inside my brain and made it possible to implement it in everyday life. Her usage of statistics truly captivated ones eyes to realize how branding has affected so many teenagers’ lives, even my own, but it was more how she created her book that was truly a work of art, instead of entertaining. Although she wrote her book in the early 2000’s, her examples still apply to the world today and how branding is still an issue at hand. Even though many branding ads have shifted their techniques, such as dove who has gradually shifted from blond blue eyed babes to now incorporate makeup-free models with natural characteristics, her arguments regarding branding has still been apparent in today's generation. Such as the advertisements for Victoria’s Secrets lingerie, their ads include models with perfect bodies and hair that tend to cast self-doubt on teenagers and young adults, like myself, to feel self-conscious about themselves. Quart’s ability to put into perspective how they brand others to buy their clothes to feel like they fit in with these models, represents the effect her book has had on my mind and how branding is still an apparent situation.
Overall, Quart effectively conveyed her message that branding is an issue that brainwashes teenagers to fit in with an ideal world. By utilizing statistics to convey her argument, I understand that advertising companies choose models to best represent their products and companies reel in teenagers to increase their popularity by using branding. The non-fiction and scientific skill she uses truly was the best persona to convey that branding is an issue that is continuously apparent in our world, and has affected me to perceive society and the world of advertisements in a more critical way. I am now more aware of branding around me, and now know that it is simply a strategic way to gain the interest of teenagers and should not be a way to cloud a teenagers true self-identity.
Although Quarts arguments bashing branding appeals to my opinion and how it impacts the world, I do believe that some branding truly is necessary, before even reading her book. Quart expresses repeatedly that branding is all in all degrading, and is only utilized to use their customers, but in reality many branding strategies are for a beneficial purpose and many are also marketed responsibly. Like in her chapter “Logo U,” Quart believes that tutoring centers were established to reel in students for outrageous class prices to obtain insane profits without necessarily improving a child’s SAT or ACT scores. Personally, these tutoring centers are targeted to improve the capacity of a teens mind and truly help them succeed with their test scores, as I am one of these kids and have improved tremendously from their aid in the ACT. I do not believe they have reeled me in just for the purpose of obtaining money from my family, but to truly improve my education.
My genuine reaction for Quarts book was shocking. Generally, I was expecting Quart to analyze the branding of teenagers in a more narrative style, but the book was revolved around her ability to pull quotes, data, and information of the real world to further her argument and her hatred for branding. Initially I believed her writing style would be a boring non-fiction book, simply listing statistics that generally do not appeal to me. However, whilst reading, Quart’s ability to relate her statistics to her arguments opened my eyes to how these examples applied to the real world and how I see branding every day. Also, one of Quarts most prominent rhetorical strategies that stood out to me was her utilization of imagery to describe average teenagers and how they dresses and looked. For each child she interviewed in her book, I could visualize them within my mind and many of them reminded me of myself, enabling me to relate to their experiences with branding, and further captivated me in Quarts book. One strategy that would have been more appealing if Quart had implemented it in her writing, would have been to input graphs and pictures that would have provided her readers with a better representation of the argument she was trying to emmitt. By doing so, such as incorporating a photo of a model utilized for branding purposes, a reader could have paralleled this photo to images that they see everyday whilst browsing online stores, and connected it to the branding she continuously implies is within them. Nevertheless, Quarts ability to write such a moving non-fiction book with various examples allowed me to realize how they connected to my own personal life and persuaded me to view branding in a more negative way, than positive.
This book overall was not necessarily entertaining, but did provide useful information that will forever be branded inside my brain and made it possible to implement it in everyday life. Her usage of statistics truly captivated ones eyes to realize how branding has affected so many teenagers’ lives, even my own, but it was more how she created her book that was truly a work of art, instead of entertaining. Although she wrote her book in the early 2000’s, her examples still apply to the world today and how branding is still an issue at hand. Even though many branding ads have shifted their techniques, such as dove who has gradually shifted from blond blue eyed babes to now incorporate makeup-free models with natural characteristics, her arguments regarding branding has still been apparent in today's generation. Such as the advertisements for Victoria’s Secrets lingerie, their ads include models with perfect bodies and hair that tend to cast self-doubt on teenagers and young adults, like myself, to feel self-conscious about themselves. Quart’s ability to put into perspective how they brand others to buy their clothes to feel like they fit in with these models, represents the effect her book has had on my mind and how branding is still an apparent situation.
Overall, Quart effectively conveyed her message that branding is an issue that brainwashes teenagers to fit in with an ideal world. By utilizing statistics to convey her argument, I understand that advertising companies choose models to best represent their products and companies reel in teenagers to increase their popularity by using branding. The non-fiction and scientific skill she uses truly was the best persona to convey that branding is an issue that is continuously apparent in our world, and has affected me to perceive society and the world of advertisements in a more critical way. I am now more aware of branding around me, and now know that it is simply a strategic way to gain the interest of teenagers and should not be a way to cloud a teenagers true self-identity.
October 27, 2016
A good general primer on the premise of teenage marketing.
Written in a time where advertising agencies finally began to truly exploit the young adult market, Branded is a short introduction to the people, brands, and places that put teenage advertisement on the map.
The author details various marketing tactics such as "Street teams" or unpaid brand ambassadors, are sent free t shirts, customized clothing, patches, stickers, and more, all to badger their friends and family with.
Brand loyalty is mentioned and explained, such as with tobacco products in past decades, where companies were not regulated to the point of being unable to sell or showcase their products to children.
The moral of the story is to show just how heavily America's youth are being utilized as free workers for brand marketing. Those interested in the story of advertising in the early 2000s will find a lot to like here before moving on to a more modern, social media-centric approach.
Recommended for those interested in early marketing to the young adult market, before the absolute explosion of social media.
Written in a time where advertising agencies finally began to truly exploit the young adult market, Branded is a short introduction to the people, brands, and places that put teenage advertisement on the map.
The author details various marketing tactics such as "Street teams" or unpaid brand ambassadors, are sent free t shirts, customized clothing, patches, stickers, and more, all to badger their friends and family with.
Brand loyalty is mentioned and explained, such as with tobacco products in past decades, where companies were not regulated to the point of being unable to sell or showcase their products to children.
The moral of the story is to show just how heavily America's youth are being utilized as free workers for brand marketing. Those interested in the story of advertising in the early 2000s will find a lot to like here before moving on to a more modern, social media-centric approach.
Recommended for those interested in early marketing to the young adult market, before the absolute explosion of social media.
April 10, 2012
This is a school text for my yr 11 daughters, which I read to be in touch with their curriculum and engage in what I hope is useful discussion. My initial impressions of branded is that it's a US centred, female oriented opinion piece that seeks only to market the authors own anti-market bias. I am perplexed as to how relevant this is for Australian girls (and boys!), especially considering the limited external referencing (I.e. none) used by the author beyond snippets that support her case. Even my daughters, who've not yet read this, think it is empty waffling, so the word on the street is not good either!
Having finished this now, my opinion is no higher than it was initially. It is not as if I agree that the consumerism in u.s. schools and the lives of teens is good, but the writers tone makes me want to find reasons to argue with her! I look forward to hearing from my daughters when they are reading it for school, as I suspect there will be more opposition to it from them.
Having finished this now, my opinion is no higher than it was initially. It is not as if I agree that the consumerism in u.s. schools and the lives of teens is good, but the writers tone makes me want to find reasons to argue with her! I look forward to hearing from my daughters when they are reading it for school, as I suspect there will be more opposition to it from them.
November 1, 2008
Anti-consumerist propaganda. The book was informational, and seemed thought out, but it was clear that the author, for all of her "research" did not get to the heart of what American teens are really all about. She seemed to talk mainly to white, affluent, female teens which colored her argument. She also seemed to lack basic knowledge about teenaged experiences that differed from her own, which detracted from the narrative severely, at least for me.
October 25, 2007
this book discusses how consumer items are marketed to teens and how teens are affected by that marketing. most of the teens described are white and upper class, but it does give a brief overview of how marketing affects lower class teens and teens of color.
December 8, 2012
I hated this book so much. It was really silly and there were several points where the author is such a freaking hypocrite. UGH!!! I hate it! And the cover? Really? This honestly looks like a book about teenage human trafficking. Nope. It's about brands.
June 20, 2023
I am giving this book less stars than deserved if it wasn't so antiquated (pub. 2003). I am sure an updated version of this book would be more of a horror given social media and the like.
Having a 15-yr-old daughter, I now go to the mall with her and see her being manipulated by all the different companies. She has managed to stay out of the fray of the "branding" at school by being very strong in her own image, rather than submitting to pressure for certain names via clothing, makeup, etc.
I know as an adult we are also manipulated... I hate admitting when I get hoodwinked. This book was scary in the lengths that companies will go to coerce tweens and teens into marketing schemes.
Reading about 12 year old girls getting breast implants was nauseating. The rise of Pro-Ana chat groups that glorify eating disorders is abhorrent.
I don't know if I'd recommend this book to anyone with teenagers. And I would avoid any updated book of similar topic.
Overall, an eye-opening read... just not timely.
Having a 15-yr-old daughter, I now go to the mall with her and see her being manipulated by all the different companies. She has managed to stay out of the fray of the "branding" at school by being very strong in her own image, rather than submitting to pressure for certain names via clothing, makeup, etc.
I know as an adult we are also manipulated... I hate admitting when I get hoodwinked. This book was scary in the lengths that companies will go to coerce tweens and teens into marketing schemes.
Reading about 12 year old girls getting breast implants was nauseating. The rise of Pro-Ana chat groups that glorify eating disorders is abhorrent.
I don't know if I'd recommend this book to anyone with teenagers. And I would avoid any updated book of similar topic.
Overall, an eye-opening read... just not timely.
July 6, 2024
While I do think the author means well in trying her best to convey the complexities and nuances of consumerist America in the context of teenagers and young people, this book fell so flat for me that flat-earthers would say it's round. I understand that it's analysing things from an American perspective, but would it have killed the author to do a little more global research? (Especially since the book is not titled 'Branded: The Buying and Selling of AMERICAN Teenagers')
I do have to give the author credit for covering a relatively alright selection of topics, from brands marketing to children to the unschooling movement (also, content warning around Chapter 9 for extensive discussions of eating disorders). But I just did not get very much from this book, and that says a lot, given the whole world is quite Americanised. Wouldn't read again or recommend, I think.
I do have to give the author credit for covering a relatively alright selection of topics, from brands marketing to children to the unschooling movement (also, content warning around Chapter 9 for extensive discussions of eating disorders). But I just did not get very much from this book, and that says a lot, given the whole world is quite Americanised. Wouldn't read again or recommend, I think.
January 7, 2018
Very insigtful book. I'm not too far removed from the teenagers Alissa Quart writes about, so I remember all the sneaky and not-so-sneaky ways corporations would market to young adults (and even younger). This book has dated itself somewhat, which is understandable considering the subject matter. I'd be interested in reading a follow-up, to learn if anything has changed. Social media as we know it today didn't exist at the time of this book's writing, and there seems to be a rise in "mass-marketed DIY culture" as seen on websites such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Etsy.
March 10, 2019
Excellent insights in to how teenagers are put under pressure to fit a 'model' suited to the interests of business and a capitalist ideology. Particularly concerning when it comes to education and schooling in the USA. I can't help feeling that we are going the same way with academisation and an overemphasis on testing. I would have given it five stars but my copy has no index.
February 13, 2018
I had to read this for class. It's is badly argued, badly written, clearly biased, generally unsourced, and includes multiple clearly faked quotes.
September 18, 2020
I read this just before college and it was very impactful on highlighting how companies, the media, and our society focuses on influencing what we ‘need’.
December 24, 2025
I had to read this for class. It's is badly argued, badly written, clearly biased, generally unsourced, and includes multiple clearly faked quotes.
August 24, 2010
This book did not change my life. It’s about the ways in which marketers brand teenagers, and the ways in which teenagers brand themselves. I recently read The Real Toy Story: Inside the Ruthless Battle for America's Youngest Consumers by Eric Clark, and it was sort of similar, although about a different age group. Both books make the point that manufacturers of toys, clothing, and other products aimed at younger people only care about making money – they don’t care about helping kids maintain their youth or figure out who they are. They also both point out that marketers see parents spending more money on their kids to make up for not being home as much, and that the youth market is expanding as more young people make their own decisions about what to buy. Also, selling things to younger people has the advantage of creating lifetime customers.
There was a section on the ways teenagers self-brand, which I thought was pretty interesting. The chapters discuss teenagers who get plastic surgery (the preference is to get it during the summer before college, so that classmates don’t know), pro-anorexia teenagers, teenage body builders and their supplements. Alyssa Quart also discusses teenagers who are stressing out to get into brand-name (Ivy League) colleges and teenagers who are becoming rich-and-famous by publishing their memoirs (spilling their secrets to the world before they’ve gotten any distance from them). She discusses marketing in schools, from Channel One to soda machine contracts to full-on corporately-owned schools.
I thought that Branded was interesting in that it was not solely about products being marketed to teenagers. A lot of the book was about images of teen-ness that young people (and parents) buy into – the “perfect” body, the “perfect” college. It was written in the early 2000s, so it felt a little outdated to me. It also had a few weird sentences that I had to read a few times and that seemed to be missing something. For example: “Edison’s CEO, Chris Whittle, founder of Channel One, the advertising-laden high school television station that broadcasts to 12,000 classrooms a day, and the activists mock Whittle’s stuffy bow tie and rail against the specter of Wall Street investors profiting from their education.” Isn’t this missing a verb or something? Like it should say “Chris Whittle IS the founder of Channel One and the activists mock him”? This is not the only example of this problem.
There was a section on the ways teenagers self-brand, which I thought was pretty interesting. The chapters discuss teenagers who get plastic surgery (the preference is to get it during the summer before college, so that classmates don’t know), pro-anorexia teenagers, teenage body builders and their supplements. Alyssa Quart also discusses teenagers who are stressing out to get into brand-name (Ivy League) colleges and teenagers who are becoming rich-and-famous by publishing their memoirs (spilling their secrets to the world before they’ve gotten any distance from them). She discusses marketing in schools, from Channel One to soda machine contracts to full-on corporately-owned schools.
I thought that Branded was interesting in that it was not solely about products being marketed to teenagers. A lot of the book was about images of teen-ness that young people (and parents) buy into – the “perfect” body, the “perfect” college. It was written in the early 2000s, so it felt a little outdated to me. It also had a few weird sentences that I had to read a few times and that seemed to be missing something. For example: “Edison’s CEO, Chris Whittle, founder of Channel One, the advertising-laden high school television station that broadcasts to 12,000 classrooms a day, and the activists mock Whittle’s stuffy bow tie and rail against the specter of Wall Street investors profiting from their education.” Isn’t this missing a verb or something? Like it should say “Chris Whittle IS the founder of Channel One and the activists mock him”? This is not the only example of this problem.
August 11, 2008
How I Came To Read This Book: I was digging around my sister's closet for my books and came across it. Part of my 'career goals' at my current job include reading more 'industry' books. Although this is an anti-marketing book...but still relevant.
The Plot: Quart's book is a look at how tweens and teens are becoming increasingly brand loyal - and branded - at an increasingly younger age. The first section deals with all of the ways kids are interacting with marketers directly (through focus groups or being brand advocates), the second (and most interesting) section touches on the way brands intersect kids lives in more covert ways (ex: why we want plastic surgery or the desire to attend a 'brand name' ivy league school), while the final, shortest section talks about areas kids are trying to reclaim for themselves - brand-free. Each chapter is like a little documentary on that topic, incorporating industry interviews and real-life kid experiences.
The Good or Bad: I did like this book, despite only giving it two stars, but I've definitely read better. The book is terribly edited and the language at times can be a bit over-indulgent for the author. Still, I thought it made a lot of relevant points in areas I hadn't even considered (the ivy league schools sticks out in my brain). I had mixed feelings about how gullible Quart portrayed the young people in the book - although I also had my eyes opened a bit about things I have participated in that probably benefited big-time marketers out there. Overall I think Quart does a solid job of deconstructing the vast arenas of branding in young people's lives - I agreed with about half of her findings. I felt like Naomi Klein's book No Logo does a far better job on taking down brands (and indeed, Quart references Klein) but Quart's book does a good job of focusing in on the younger demographic.
Anything Memorable?: This book took me eons to read. People at work probably thought I was reading a pro-branding book over lunch hours, but not so much...
Bottom Line: A good companion read to No Logo if you're interested in anti-marketing.
50 Book Challenge? Book #32 in 2008
The Plot: Quart's book is a look at how tweens and teens are becoming increasingly brand loyal - and branded - at an increasingly younger age. The first section deals with all of the ways kids are interacting with marketers directly (through focus groups or being brand advocates), the second (and most interesting) section touches on the way brands intersect kids lives in more covert ways (ex: why we want plastic surgery or the desire to attend a 'brand name' ivy league school), while the final, shortest section talks about areas kids are trying to reclaim for themselves - brand-free. Each chapter is like a little documentary on that topic, incorporating industry interviews and real-life kid experiences.
The Good or Bad: I did like this book, despite only giving it two stars, but I've definitely read better. The book is terribly edited and the language at times can be a bit over-indulgent for the author. Still, I thought it made a lot of relevant points in areas I hadn't even considered (the ivy league schools sticks out in my brain). I had mixed feelings about how gullible Quart portrayed the young people in the book - although I also had my eyes opened a bit about things I have participated in that probably benefited big-time marketers out there. Overall I think Quart does a solid job of deconstructing the vast arenas of branding in young people's lives - I agreed with about half of her findings. I felt like Naomi Klein's book No Logo does a far better job on taking down brands (and indeed, Quart references Klein) but Quart's book does a good job of focusing in on the younger demographic.
Anything Memorable?: This book took me eons to read. People at work probably thought I was reading a pro-branding book over lunch hours, but not so much...
Bottom Line: A good companion read to No Logo if you're interested in anti-marketing.
50 Book Challenge? Book #32 in 2008
January 28, 2013
The idea behind this book is noble, and something I completely agree with, teenagers and youth increasingly being pulled into and manipulated by corporate culture, but ultimately Alissa Quart's analysis, format of her argument, and her supporting points fall flat and hackneyed.
Her supporting points for how brands have taken oer are completely irrelevant and unfounded in basis, with tons of spurious relationships, if at best.
A few examples...
She states on 41-42 in peer to peer marketing that kids participate in peer-to-peer marketing because they feel as though they need to get branded, to form a part of their identity, but couldn't it just be they want/need attention in an increasingly impersonal world? Or any other potential cause for this increase..
Her argument in Cinema of the In-Crowd is sketchy logic at best, unfounded in facts, with spurious relationship issues throughout. She simply lists funky rebel movies of the eighties and then lists the more shallow movies of the 90s. I'm pretty sure each decade had their fair share of both, her points are anecdotal at best.
Her arguments on cosmetic surgery, anorexia nervosa, beefing up are also rife with spurious relationships and issues. Connecting these problems with self-branding is potentially interesting, but she simply let us hanging with little real connections or well-founded logic.
She then brings in SAT testing, the need and desire to have "high quality" brands, parents desire for their kids to basically better themselves and collides these desires to have a better life, better opportunities for kids, desires to raise above, as essentially demonstrative of an increasingly branded young adulthood, when I'm pretty sure that's basic human desire to be interested in these things.
Ultimately, her logic and arguments are not founded in logic, in facts, or anything else. It simply seems to be her jumping around 'Causes" for self-branding, her arguments, etc are full of spurious relationships, indirect relationships, and gaping holes. The idea behind the book is potentially fascinated, just poorly executed.
Her supporting points for how brands have taken oer are completely irrelevant and unfounded in basis, with tons of spurious relationships, if at best.
A few examples...
She states on 41-42 in peer to peer marketing that kids participate in peer-to-peer marketing because they feel as though they need to get branded, to form a part of their identity, but couldn't it just be they want/need attention in an increasingly impersonal world? Or any other potential cause for this increase..
Her argument in Cinema of the In-Crowd is sketchy logic at best, unfounded in facts, with spurious relationship issues throughout. She simply lists funky rebel movies of the eighties and then lists the more shallow movies of the 90s. I'm pretty sure each decade had their fair share of both, her points are anecdotal at best.
Her arguments on cosmetic surgery, anorexia nervosa, beefing up are also rife with spurious relationships and issues. Connecting these problems with self-branding is potentially interesting, but she simply let us hanging with little real connections or well-founded logic.
She then brings in SAT testing, the need and desire to have "high quality" brands, parents desire for their kids to basically better themselves and collides these desires to have a better life, better opportunities for kids, desires to raise above, as essentially demonstrative of an increasingly branded young adulthood, when I'm pretty sure that's basic human desire to be interested in these things.
Ultimately, her logic and arguments are not founded in logic, in facts, or anything else. It simply seems to be her jumping around 'Causes" for self-branding, her arguments, etc are full of spurious relationships, indirect relationships, and gaping holes. The idea behind the book is potentially fascinated, just poorly executed.
February 27, 2012
entah terjemahannya yang ganjil ato aku yg bacanya kurang khusyu' sehingga sering rasanya aku tersesat di tengah2 paragraf, gak paham ide apa yg sebenernya mau disampaikan. mungkin jg krn sebelumnya aku pernah baca buku dg topik mirip (err, The Rebel Sell?), tp lbh 'canggih' dan komprehensif sehingga waktu baca buku ini rasanya kaya gak ada apa2nya. cuma seperti orasi panjang, data seadanya, dan mengandalkan permainan kata - yg mungkin jd alasan knp terjemahannya jd ribet sendiri :p
buku ini menjelaskan klo remaja sangat rentan dg konsumerisme krn kecenderungan mereka untuk meniru idolanya, entah selebritis atau sosok populer di sekolah. idenya itu, pada awalnya. tapi di banyak bagian dr buku ini analisa yg digunakan justru bikin mikir yg sebaliknya, bahwa yg memicu belanja2 gak perlu justru adl keinginan untuk tampil beda dan bukannya tampil sama. buku ini memandang curiga pd setiap merek, setiap korporasi besar, dg memuji langkah2 para punk, anti-korporasi, bahkan anti-sekolah, yg dianggap sangat heroik dan "melambangkan-sesuatu". naahh, disinilah aku biasanya kehilangan jejak. gagal paham apa esensinya semangat do-it-yourself kalau itu cm dilatarbelakangi alasan sederhana: just because everything else is too mainstream.
tapi beberapa ide yg ada disini rasanya ada yg pingin ditiru juga, misalnya soal mencanangkan hari "buy nothing". bagiku ide itu kedengaran sesederhana reduce-reuse-recycle tapi setidaknya ada bentuk konkritnya. ide yg lain aku lupa apa lagi, hehehe - karena waktu buku ini selesai dibaca, waktu itulah giliranku dipanggil sama dokter gigi. dan, semoga semua sepakat denganku disini, bahwa duduk di dentist chair yg sakral itu sungguh bisa bikin manusia lupa akan segala hal yg bersifat duniawi...
gosh, i hate dentist :|
buku ini menjelaskan klo remaja sangat rentan dg konsumerisme krn kecenderungan mereka untuk meniru idolanya, entah selebritis atau sosok populer di sekolah. idenya itu, pada awalnya. tapi di banyak bagian dr buku ini analisa yg digunakan justru bikin mikir yg sebaliknya, bahwa yg memicu belanja2 gak perlu justru adl keinginan untuk tampil beda dan bukannya tampil sama. buku ini memandang curiga pd setiap merek, setiap korporasi besar, dg memuji langkah2 para punk, anti-korporasi, bahkan anti-sekolah, yg dianggap sangat heroik dan "melambangkan-sesuatu". naahh, disinilah aku biasanya kehilangan jejak. gagal paham apa esensinya semangat do-it-yourself kalau itu cm dilatarbelakangi alasan sederhana: just because everything else is too mainstream.
tapi beberapa ide yg ada disini rasanya ada yg pingin ditiru juga, misalnya soal mencanangkan hari "buy nothing". bagiku ide itu kedengaran sesederhana reduce-reuse-recycle tapi setidaknya ada bentuk konkritnya. ide yg lain aku lupa apa lagi, hehehe - karena waktu buku ini selesai dibaca, waktu itulah giliranku dipanggil sama dokter gigi. dan, semoga semua sepakat denganku disini, bahwa duduk di dentist chair yg sakral itu sungguh bisa bikin manusia lupa akan segala hal yg bersifat duniawi...
gosh, i hate dentist :|
September 9, 2007
What is really interesting/scary about this book is how much truer it is now, only four years after it was first published. With the runaway successes of social networking sites and so much access to instaneous digital image-taking and sharing, kids are more willing than ever to sell themselves and their images--to anyone, for no money, and with little regard, if any, to the implications for their personal lives and careers. Especially scary to me is all the fine print on these sites that no one bothers to read, which actually often says that these companies (yes, all these sites are owned by profit-focused companies) can do whatever they want with your info. Check this out: http://albumoftheday.com/facebook/. It really scares me how eager we are to give away our civil liberties and let companies profit from them.
Another thing I found really interesting was the part about the branding of education. It is so true that the American education system (mainly universities, but increasingly primary education as well) is such a business, and we all buy into the big names and brands. Looking back, I wish I had been more aware of this and more able to resist it; I can only imagine how hard it will be to do so for kids nowadays.
If nothing else, this book will make you glad to be a grown-up. And maybe have you assessing how your are actually still quite like these kids in many ways.
Another thing I found really interesting was the part about the branding of education. It is so true that the American education system (mainly universities, but increasingly primary education as well) is such a business, and we all buy into the big names and brands. Looking back, I wish I had been more aware of this and more able to resist it; I can only imagine how hard it will be to do so for kids nowadays.
If nothing else, this book will make you glad to be a grown-up. And maybe have you assessing how your are actually still quite like these kids in many ways.
March 21, 2012
Two stars for this book because, as Goodreads puts it, "it was okay." This was one option to read for my YA lit. class. For me, the general concept of the "branding" of teenagers is all rather obvious. I am actually greatfull that I grew up in a poorer family. Sure, as a tween, I longed to be one of the "pretty girls" with all of their nice clothing, but we did not have the money. I think it made me the relatively brand-unconscious person I am today. Sure, I have worn more expensive brands, but they were all purchased second-hand at thrift stores.
I know that advertising to tweens & teens is a big industry, but I think teenagers take care of most of the work on their own. Does the advertising industry force teens and their parents to spend $500 for a pair of boots? No. They willingly do it. Then these kids are considered "the cool kids" at school, who love to make life a living hell for the rest of us who can't afford the $500 boots. It's just a cycle--but really, it's just a part of life that I do not think can be avoided. If you send your teen to a private school, where everyone dresses alike, they will still judge each other on the type of car their parents drive or the size of their house.
My advice? How about parents stop providing their kids with the means to waste money on these stupid "extras" and teach spend time teaching them how to be a good person; a lesson that will last way longer than a $500 pair of designer boots will.
I know that advertising to tweens & teens is a big industry, but I think teenagers take care of most of the work on their own. Does the advertising industry force teens and their parents to spend $500 for a pair of boots? No. They willingly do it. Then these kids are considered "the cool kids" at school, who love to make life a living hell for the rest of us who can't afford the $500 boots. It's just a cycle--but really, it's just a part of life that I do not think can be avoided. If you send your teen to a private school, where everyone dresses alike, they will still judge each other on the type of car their parents drive or the size of their house.
My advice? How about parents stop providing their kids with the means to waste money on these stupid "extras" and teach spend time teaching them how to be a good person; a lesson that will last way longer than a $500 pair of designer boots will.
October 28, 2016
I agree with most of the reviews. This book ensures that we will never look at the youth the same way again. That didn't happens to me because I still see them the same way I saw the youth before. The author provides a lot of information for you to contemplate on how your youth was different from other children's youth, which I thought was nice. Although it provides plenty of information, a lot of it is repetitive and makes you want to continue only to see if there is added information.
Along with repetitive information, there is a lot of unnecessary information. This is supposed to provide details about how tweens and teens are into brand, but there are a few chapters just talking about styles and personalities in movies. I wanted to read this book to see how much adolescents are involved with brands not to read about movies that I could watch on my own. Other than that this book did make me realize a few things. I learned that today's youth is much different than what my parents youth might have been like.
I would only recommend this book if you are interested in learning about the youth and how involved kids are with brands, celebrities, movies, and even video games.
Along with repetitive information, there is a lot of unnecessary information. This is supposed to provide details about how tweens and teens are into brand, but there are a few chapters just talking about styles and personalities in movies. I wanted to read this book to see how much adolescents are involved with brands not to read about movies that I could watch on my own. Other than that this book did make me realize a few things. I learned that today's youth is much different than what my parents youth might have been like.
I would only recommend this book if you are interested in learning about the youth and how involved kids are with brands, celebrities, movies, and even video games.
June 14, 2012
Kirjan aihe on mielenkiintoinen ja mediaseksikäskin. Suurinta osaa tekstistä ei voi soveltaa suoraan Suomeen, asia josta suomalainen alkusanojen kirjoittajakin muistuttaa. Vaikka aihe on mielenkiintoinen ja osa jutuista suorastaan karmivia, jokin silti tökkii. Aivan kuin kirjoittaja ei olisikaan täysin brändittömyyden puolella, tai ainakaan hän ei tuo kantaansa aivan niin selvästi esiin kuin esimerkiksi Pikaruokakansan kirjoittaja. Esiin tulee myös se, että kirjoittaja suhtautuu lapsiin ja nuoriin selkeällä "silloin kun minä olin nuori" -asenteella. Silloin kun kirjoittaja on ollut nuori, kaikki oli paremmin. Epäilen, että samat cocacolat ja adidakset ovat olleet olemassa jo 70-luvulla... Myös kirjoittajan ylenmääräinen yleistys ärsyttää, sekä kaiken brändeihin liittyvän leimaaminen automaattisesti pahaksi. Jos yrittää lukiessaan unohtaa kaiken täm'n, on kirja mielenkiintoinen lukukokemus.
September 8, 2011
If your thinking about reading an awesome informative book on the branded community that Our generation has been included in, Branded is the book. it exclusively takes the reader into a out look on teenagers branding and selling and how the world is filled with materialism and consumerism, that we as a society would not have seen before hand. even if you are aware of the brandedness of the community at hand, this book invites other aspect to mind, on whether or not branding oneself is a good thing or not, and other ideas and social events tat happen in our world that contribute to the whole concept of branding.Other than that, i am really glad i had a chance o read this non-fiction book. it was very interesting and has influenced how i see things today versus how i did beforehand.If you have time to read this, it would be beneficial.
May 11, 2015
The book Branded: The buying and selling of teenagers by Alissa Quart was honestly really interesting. It gave me a new perspective to look at things. After reading the book i feel like teens are definitely obsessed with image. I can kind of relate to some things, such as, brands and how important they are to everyone and how they really make or break you. Teens are growing up spoiled by brands or else they are losers because they don’t have the right brands. I really enjoyed looking into a different perspective of how teens actually act and it makes sense why so many people say generations get worse and worse with being overwhelmed by brands. I found this book while reading an article in class and wanted to read it as soon as possible. I recommend this book to everyone to see into some other point of view.
October 2, 2007
This book was written only 4 years ago, but it is already amazingly out of date. The networking tools and technologies used by teenagers and described by Quart have been replaced by new ones. The cultural phenomenon she describes, such as celebrity worship and boob jobs, have moved from the land of E! Entertainment Television into what were once ivory towers of news, such as the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
This book did not give me any specific insight into teenagers’ branded lives. It is written in a “preaching to the choir” tone, only meant to convince those who already believe that they think correctly. The ‘unbranded’ examples she gives are unconvincing and do not account for the myriad ways teenagers express themselves beyond brands.
This book did not give me any specific insight into teenagers’ branded lives. It is written in a “preaching to the choir” tone, only meant to convince those who already believe that they think correctly. The ‘unbranded’ examples she gives are unconvincing and do not account for the myriad ways teenagers express themselves beyond brands.
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