namesake

A friend and I were trying to catch a reel and I suggested we go to the 'Paramount' theater on Burrard in DT. My friend informed me that it is no longer called that, they call it the "Scotia" theatre now. And around end of June ads were run on buses and Local TV about the "Paws for a cause" yet again sponsored by Scotiabank. Every time one takes a look at the beautiful science world while on the skytrain by Mainstreet Stn, one is able to see the prominent "Telus World of Science". And weeks before I left, I saw ads for an "HSBC walk for the cure" to raise awareness and money for HIV/AIDS patients.

While all these and many more examples are a cause for celebration that local organisations are taking actions, they are also a cause for some annoyance from folks like myself. Corporate mindset is taking over many activities or places that at some point it is very likely the rivalry to dominate local activities would overwhelm the very causes. It is understandable that sponsors are somehow the backbone of any activity with the roof-touching costs to hold any activity but what I don't like is when all these big companies and the like take over the title, like "Telus world of Science". Whats up with that?? How about putting their names on the Platinum, Gold, Silver excetra sponsor list? Naomi Klein discusses in "no logo" the idea behind branding and advertising and draws a fine line between the two.

What amazes me most is the fact that an idea say for example "Green" is associated with so many different ideologies such as "diet" and made into a brand itself. In stead of the idea of reducing one's carbon foot-print using common sense for the most part, "green" by itself has become a phenomenon to hit the drum stronger about "buying more" of the ever elusive "green products". Well don't get me wrong here. What intrigues me is the psychology behind associating one thing to the other, like Telus, a telecommunication company, to Science world and the like. It is the same as that time I was told to buy a Tuna fish, "Sister it is Halal". Very humorous, so now you get the point...there is nothing wrong in being environmentally conscious same way as there is nothing wrong in seeking halal in everything.

There would be more of those labellings and fun activities dominated by the Names of big companies. And in the end, it would be easy to see that it is all about and for "Namesake" avoiding the gray area of any conspiracy theory as most of us are prone to arrive to. hehe ;)