4 ms·

Relevant: http://xkcd.com/993/ http://xkcd.com/993/

• minikomi 14y ago
  That's basically Muji(rushi Ryouhin) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muji http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muji The name literally means Unmarked Good stuff.
  • deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  • pyre 14y ago
    In Canada, there is a brand called "No Name." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Name_(brand) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Name_(brand) http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WnoVJIMx0p8/TNV6W99nanI/AAAAAAAAAC8/ByGC5O21vvc/s1600/no+name.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WnoVJIMx0p8/TNV6W99nanI/AAAAAAAAAC... Note, that per the Wikipedia page, the brand is owned by Loblaw's (I didn't even know this prior to looking up the wiki page now), which is Canada's largest food distributor/grocer. The odd thing is that they have their own generic (more recognizable) brand, President's Choice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_Choice http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_Choice http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldw0zmYO0Z1qctkcl.jpg http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldw0zmYO0Z1qctkcl.jpg
  • snogglethorpe 14y ago
    I think this doesn't quite fit what Muji actually does; their products often lack obvious "forward" branding (of the sort that too often gets fetishized), but are definitely "branded" in the store, and often on the products as well ... (e.g. notepads / pens / etc come with obvious labels that are possible to remove, but people typically don't bother). There are certain attributes associated with Muji products, and that's why people shop there. A much closer fit (for the xkcd strip) is the short-lived early-'80s "generic products" fad in the U.S. You'd get stuff like beer in plain white cans with "BEER" written on them, on ordinary supermarket shelves. I wonder if the xkcd guy knew about that, or whether it's just convergent evolution ... :]