The Corporate States of America
June 30, 2013 5:21 PM   Subscribe

Steve Lovelace created a map that shows the corporation that best represents each state of the US.
posted by reenum (95 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
Actually, Rhode Island is firmly in the pocket of Big Lube.
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 5:23 PM on June 30, 2013


Is it really "best represents" or is it "most significant that is based there"? I mean, as a Virginian, I'd give us to something like Piggly Wiggly or Magnum Research even if neither were from here.
posted by kafziel at 5:28 PM on June 30, 2013 [7 favorites]


"Based out of," as he uses it, drives me nuts. It makes sense for things like military units or ships, which spend significant periods of time away from home, but corporations "based out of" states just sounds wrong.

Otherwise, I liked this, and found it quite interesting.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 5:29 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Is it really "best represents" or is it "most significant that is based there"?

Garmin for Kansas? It's neither.
posted by Science! at 5:29 PM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


Actually, Rhode Island is firmly in the pocket of Big Lube.

Shit, I actually came in to say Rhode Island should have been CVS. I mean, assuming the mob doesn't count as a corporation.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:30 PM on June 30, 2013 [7 favorites]


He had me @ Florida = Hooters. Nice.

( Although I would have used a pharmacutical company for NJ.)
posted by R. Mutt at 5:31 PM on June 30, 2013


Also without having consulted my husband I'm pretty sure North Carolina should have been Bojangles.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:31 PM on June 30, 2013 [6 favorites]


Verizon? Please, Goldman Sachs or at least Citigroup.

If we want to toss the rest of the state a bone maybe Corning.
posted by Ad hominem at 5:32 PM on June 30, 2013 [6 favorites]


the mob doesn't count as a corporation

Vice versa, though.
posted by DU at 5:32 PM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


CVS?

Not Ocean State Job Lot or Autocrat?
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:35 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


This is a cheerful corporate promo project. "Best represents" would have Virginia represented not by AOL (AOL?!) but by Northrop Grumman, or maybe whatever medical supply company won the contract for transvaginal probes.
posted by headnsouth at 5:36 PM on June 30, 2013 [4 favorites]


Not Ocean State Job Lot or Autocrat?

Ocean State Job Lot I could get behind, but how do you pick Autocrat versus Eclipse?

Also I feel like a traitor because I actually like New England Frozen Lemonade more than Del's.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:42 PM on June 30, 2013


Yeah I saw this the other day, and tried to imagine what it might look like if it was done for Australia. I couldn't come up with much except for some brands of beer or meet pies, and mining companies...
posted by Jimbob at 5:43 PM on June 30, 2013


It's also strange he gave Saks to Alabama seeing as they call themselves "Saks 5th Avenue". Seems like Saks tried to disown Alabama.

Fuck it, New York claims Saks too.
posted by Ad hominem at 5:43 PM on June 30, 2013


Dr. Pepper's the best they've got for Texas?

I'd vote Halliburton.
posted by chasing at 5:45 PM on June 30, 2013 [7 favorites]


Georgia is Home Depot all the way.
posted by Rubbstone at 5:50 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'd go with McDonalds for IL
posted by Fig at 5:54 PM on June 30, 2013 [5 favorites]


Verizon? Please, Goldman Sachs or at least Citigroup.

If we want to toss the rest of the state a bone maybe Corning.


It's the culture of the whole state, if it was just the NYC Metro area then Goldman Sachs for a lock, but NYS as a whole? You need a big old fashioned SUPER company with rust belt ties that's failing around but has too much money and or power to really go away.

I say GE. Or IBM.
posted by The Whelk at 5:55 PM on June 30, 2013 [4 favorites]


Ocean State Job Lot I could get behind, but how do you pick Autocrat versus Eclipse?

Because Autocrat is the syrup which I put in my milk to make my morning coffee cabinet......Damnit, you've found me out with your secret Rhode Island insider test. I'm actually from Massachusetts.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:55 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


( also that L.L Bean Maine thing is so not a joke, I have the 30 pounds of recently purchased L.L Bean products to prove it)
posted by The Whelk at 5:56 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Pillsbury doesn't really exist any more.
posted by gimonca at 5:57 PM on June 30, 2013


Until 2 weeks ago, neither did Albertsons; it has just split off the SuperValu retail behemoth that had acquired it 8 years ago (and did so with less stores).
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:59 PM on June 30, 2013


The best way to decrease the influence of corporate lobbyists is to just create a third house of goverment where the 100 most powerful corporations also write and ratify laws.
posted by Renoroc at 6:00 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Maytag for Iowa? Please. Maytag hasn't employed anybody in this state since about 2007. Deere and Co (while headquartered in Illinois) has more US plants in Iowa than anywhere else.
posted by TrialByMedia at 6:00 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


I kinda expected some kinda cool Cyberpunk-ish MegaCorps map, but this doesn't work.

How can Zappos be more prominent than the Vegas Resorts' Corporations (Sands and Wynns specifically)?

Starbucks for Washington, instead of frickin' MICROSOFT?

And California itself is HUGE. The Bay Area is split between Google and Apple. The Southland is pretty much fought between the various movie studios. Time Warner dominates Los Angeles, but the kingdom of Disney keeps OC freedom-loving and independent. The rest is patrolled by a privatized LAPD that makes more money selling it's likeness and name to TV shows and movies than actual policing.
posted by FJT at 6:00 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


It's times like this I realize Snow Crash came true without us really noticing.
posted by The Whelk at 6:02 PM on June 30, 2013 [8 favorites]


I say GE. Or IBM.

Ok fine. As long as it isn't Verizon.

I'd stick with Verizon if they used to be Nyx, New York Exchange, but they had to try to be Nynex. We can't be associated with New England.
posted by Ad hominem at 6:02 PM on June 30, 2013


Surprised Minnesota wasn't 3M.
posted by cthuljew at 6:04 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


cthuljew: "Surprised Minnesota wasn't 3M."

I'd go with Target.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:06 PM on June 30, 2013


If you go strictly by Fortune 500 rankings, there would be a lot of changes. Of course, Texas would get an oil company: Exxon/Mobil, but so would California, where Chevron is still bigger than Apple. Interestingly, New York would still be Verizon (JPMorgan/Chase a close 2nd, IBM a close 3rd). 3M is 6th among Minnesota corporations, UnitedHealth is 1st, Target 2nd.
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:06 PM on June 30, 2013


A more realistic version of this map would be 49 blank states and a panoply of colors and logos packed in to Delaware. This is, I think, the central element of high technology, global capitalism. Geography doesn't matter, beyond branding. As many people are pointing out, most of these corporations have as little to do with the state that represents them as any other on the map.

But, it seems like a small personal project or portfolio item with purely subjective criteria. It'd be interesting to see it done more methodically.
posted by codacorolla at 6:07 PM on June 30, 2013 [7 favorites]


They got Georgia right.
posted by thelonius at 6:08 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


I was totally expecting Wisconsin to be Miller Brewing Company, but I haven't been to Milwaukee for so long, I didn't realize it's MillerCoors and owned by SABMiller now. It's not a Wisconsin firm anymore, or even its own entity, really.

Wow, that kind of sucks.
posted by droplet at 6:09 PM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


Yeah, i would think Kansas would be Koch Industries for sure. Despite the recent impact of the tech companies, Washington State should probably be Boeing. Even though they moved their headquarters, they're still the largest employer in the state.
posted by billyfleetwood at 6:13 PM on June 30, 2013


Thanks to Arizona's delightful conservatives who run our state legislature, and thanks to the fact that they are our largest employer, and thanks to the fact that my tax dollars subsidize their underpaid employees' healthcare and social needs, I'd rather go with Walmart for my state.
posted by Old Man McKay at 6:14 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Starbucks for Washington, instead of frickin' MICROSOFT?

Or even Boeing for that matter, if we're going for pedigree. Out of the three, though, Starbucks probably has a better brand image.
posted by braksandwich at 6:15 PM on June 30, 2013


Again, based solely on Fortune 500 ranking, Georgia would be Home Depot (UPS 2nd, CocaCola 3rd). The only F500 companies in Nevada are 4 casino owners and there are none considered based in Alaska or Hawaii or Wyoming or West Virginia, and only 2 'officially' in Delaware - DuPont and SLM (who?). Washington's top corp. is Costco, followed by Microsoft, Amazon, Piccar (who?) and Starbucks. Boeing is now #2 in Illinois, behind Archer Daniels Midland.

Yeah, a Fortune 500 map wouldn't be as interesting... which is why Fortune doesn't do one.
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:19 PM on June 30, 2013


Figured Utah would be the Mormon church.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:20 PM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


I say GE. Or IBM.

GE is headquartered in Connecticut (admittedly in Stamford, which is a soulless NYC suburb) so it's not inappropriate that CT gets it. IBM would be reasonable for NY, though. And Pratt & Whitney / United Technologies or one of the venerable old insurance companies would have been a better choice for Connecticut, speaking as someone who grew up in the non-NYC-suburb part of that state.

And Northrop Grumman really should have been Virginia. I mean...AOL? Really?
posted by Kadin2048 at 6:27 PM on June 30, 2013


Harley-Davidson sums up Wisconsin perfectly.
posted by coldhotel at 6:28 PM on June 30, 2013


DuPont is not what it used to be but there is no other possible answer for Delaware but DuPont. SLM is Salliemae and until I just googled it right now I had no idea they had moved their headquarters here.

Our parks, tourist attractions, schools, hospitals and route 13 all originated with DuPont.
posted by interplanetjanet at 6:33 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


What's the logo on Missouri? I can't make it out, but whatever it is, I bet Hallmark Cards would be better.
posted by donajo at 6:33 PM on June 30, 2013


I'm thinking Costco for Washington and Northrop Grumman was obvious for Virginia. And with 6 of the top 10 employers in Nevada being casinos I'm questioning that one too.
posted by N-stoff at 6:33 PM on June 30, 2013


When it comes to Minnesota, I'd have gone with 3M AKA "Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing".
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:33 PM on June 30, 2013


Mississippi should be WorldCom. Yeah, I know they're out of business but that's appropriate.

As for Louisiana, Tabasco is one of our most distinctive brands but the state is owned lock, stock, and toothpicks by big energy.
posted by localroger at 6:35 PM on June 30, 2013


Would have picked Comcast for Pennsylvania.
posted by octothorpe at 6:36 PM on June 30, 2013


octothorpe: "Would have picked Comcast for Pennsylvania."

Some Yinzer you are! I'm from Philly but I'd still pick Heinz before Comcast.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:41 PM on June 30, 2013 [3 favorites]


I grew up in NM but had never heard of Allsup's before. Apparently there are none in the corner of the state where I grew up.
posted by pravit at 6:44 PM on June 30, 2013


Minnesota should definitely be Target. They are enormously influential -- the governor is a member of the founding family! In addition to the stores, they also built the first shopping malls, which are obviously something the area is still famous for. The area also has a ton of other retail/marketing/distribution businesses.

United Health is a bigger company, and Cargill probably is too (they are extremely secretive). But Target is definitely the most representative.
posted by miyabo at 6:49 PM on June 30, 2013


How is Massachusetts anything other than Dunkin' Donuts?
posted by naoko at 6:51 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


It's funny that half the people here are calling for a more realistic version, and another large chunk are calling for a more cynical/critical version -- and that most of the changes to fulfill the former would also fulfill the latter.
posted by chortly at 6:53 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


I want to say IBM makes sense for NY but that may just be because I grew up like a mile down the street from their big ass conference center in Rockland County, so my sense of their ubiquity is severely distorted.
posted by invitapriore at 6:54 PM on June 30, 2013


FJT: "Starbucks for Washington, instead of frickin' MICROSOFT?"

When I've heard most people refer to Microsoft's location, it's "Redmond" (e.g. "A new version of Windows is out from the folks in Redmond."), but I've always heard of Starbucks as being associated with just "Washington."
posted by fireoyster at 6:55 PM on June 30, 2013


Easy to nitpick the list.. I'd think Minnesota would be more General Mills than Pillsbury... but whatev
posted by edgeways at 6:56 PM on June 30, 2013


I like IBM for NY cause I always suspect crazy Fallout-level stuff is going on in totally blank, tree filled office parks along the Hudson Valley.
posted by The Whelk at 6:57 PM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


How is Texas not an oil company? I mean, I'm not sorry we're Dr. Pepper, because that's a less crappy big company than Exxon, but how is Texas not an oil company?
posted by immlass at 7:01 PM on June 30, 2013


I mean, as a Virginian, I'd give us to something like Piggly Wiggly or Magnum Research even if neither were from here.

Or Dominion. Being that this is a coal state.
posted by indubitable at 7:07 PM on June 30, 2013


And California itself is HUGE. The Bay Area is split between Google and Apple. The Southland is pretty much fought between the various movie studios. Time Warner dominates Los Angeles, but the kingdom of Disney keeps OC freedom-loving and independent.

by revenue, California belongs to Chevron...
posted by ennui.bz at 7:12 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


A more realistic version of this map would be 49 blank states and a panoply of colors and logos packed in to Delaware

Or at least the inclusion of a striping of energy and military contractors, which operate in a variety of states.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:18 PM on June 30, 2013


Side note: Under this, Vermont is a fully owned subsidiary of Unilever.
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:19 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Some of them are very good, but Minnesota should be Target (which makes a nice counterpoint to Arkansas/Walmart).
posted by Curious Artificer at 7:21 PM on June 30, 2013


Some Yinzer you are! I'm from Philly but I'd still pick Heinz before Comcast.

guys the correct answer is Wawa

(don't give me any of that Sheetz nonsense)
posted by jetlagaddict at 7:22 PM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


I'm totally thinking Texas should be an oil company, or Halliburton. Dr. Pepper is still based in Texas but I don't know anyone who strongly associates it with the state. Certainly, Texas from the inside feels like an energy company would better represent it (that's what's driving the current boom and what looms large in everyone's memories about the big bust).

North Dakota's a little tricky, but I'd have gone with Scheel's (which is based in Fargo like Bobcat, but is a wholly independent entity, unlike Bobcat). Admittedly, it'd have taken a little research to find and I don't know that 'sporting goods store' is the first thing that others perceive about North Dakota (in that case, farming or oil) but I do think it's a fair representation of the I-29/94 corridors where most of the state lives.

As for California, I'm really not sure but ultimately, I'd have picked Disney over Apple (it's certainly much more associated with California than Chevron). Again, that's maybe how outsiders perceive the state (Apple! Silicon Valley! Land of tech people and expensive homes!) but I don't think that's necessarily how the state perceives itself. Then again, I'm from SoCal.

I suppose it's a little tricky to envision how 50 states perceive themselves, as exemplified by corporations based there. I think it'd have taken more research, to be sure.
posted by librarylis at 7:24 PM on June 30, 2013


Yes Utah really should be the LDS-Mormon church. It's even a registered corporation.

Or Novell if that was still a thing people cared about.
posted by Doleful Creature at 7:27 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


I mean, as a Virginian, I'd give us to something like Piggly Wiggly or Magnum Research even if neither were from here.

There are only two Piggly Wigglys in Virginia, and they're both waaaaaay far south. It would not surprise me if the majority of people north of, like, Roanoke have never even heard of Piggly Wiggly.
posted by naoko at 7:29 PM on June 30, 2013


Wow, I think the DMV wins out for most boring. Virginia's been discussed already, but Maryland as GEICO and DC as C-SPAN... good god, man.
posted by psoas at 7:40 PM on June 30, 2013


He picked Hooters of Disney, sugar and orange juice for Florida.

That's just dumb.
posted by oddman at 7:41 PM on June 30, 2013


I don't know what "best represents" the state means to him, but to most Americans, Delaware is significant mainly because that's probably where your credit card issuer is based, because Delaware's usury laws are specifically designed to attract them, and your state's laws can't forbid them from selling you a credit card that would be illegal if it were issued where you live.
posted by George_Spiggott at 7:55 PM on June 30, 2013


donajo: "What's the logo on Missouri?"

That's Anheuser Busch, which is owned by Belgians.
More appropriate for MO would be one of the many failed exurban-sprawl construction companies.
posted by notsnot at 8:12 PM on June 30, 2013


I like IBM for NY cause I always suspect crazy Fallout-level stuff is going on in totally blank, tree filled office parks along the Hudson Valley.

Naah, they moved those projects to India with all the others.
posted by deadmessenger at 8:51 PM on June 30, 2013


The Whelk: "I like IBM for NY cause I always suspect crazy Fallout-level stuff is going on in totally blank, tree filled office parks along the Hudson Valley."

It also doesn't hurt that Empire State Plaza in Albany is arguably the "most IBM" piece of architecture imaginable, even though IBM doesn't actually have offices there...
posted by schmod at 8:58 PM on June 30, 2013


South Dakota's should be Citibank or any of the other national banks that have set up shop there to take advantage of our lax banking laws.
posted by roll truck roll at 9:05 PM on June 30, 2013


Montana should be the Big Sky Brewing Company. Or one of the ski areas. Or Dan Bailey's.
posted by ITravelMontana at 9:08 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Personally, I think that they chose "brands" that represented states, rather than actual companies (and even at that, chose rather poorly).

Here are my suggestions for some replacements:
Connecticut: Electric Boat (this one's tough. CT's hard to stereotype)
DC: Gallup, Fannie Mae, NPR, Hogan Lovells, and Marriott all make more sense than C-SPAN, which barely counts as an independent entity.
Delaware: Any of the 50,000 banks that are headquartered in Wilmington for tax purposes
Mass: Dunkin' Donuts. Duh.
Minnesota: Target, 3M, or the Guy Noir PI Firm
North Carolina: Whatever company it is that manufactures Cheerwine.
New Jersey: Whatever company it is that manufactures Taylor Ham.
Pennsylvania: Hershey is good, but Yuengling and Crayola are tied for a close second
Virginia: Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, or Booz Allen.
Washington: Boeing
posted by schmod at 9:17 PM on June 30, 2013


"Based out of" turns out to be a surprisingly obnoxious phrase to read on multiple occasions in a short span of time.
posted by kengraham at 10:13 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Semi-arbitrary map is semi-arbitrary. I think the only reason this thing has gotten so much attention over the past couple weeks is because there are so many opportunities to complain about what the creator "got wrong."
posted by me3dia at 10:45 PM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


I clicked through wondering whether California would be Disney, Apple, or Google.
posted by town of cats at 11:18 PM on June 30, 2013


Yeah- Alaska is, strangely, represented by our (formerly) local grocery store. Which: eh. Honestly, if you just went with what felt right given the culture of the state and the influences the chosen corporation has over the government in the state, most Alaskans would sigh and pick BP, ConocoPhillips or Exxon.
posted by charmedimsure at 12:20 AM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Starbucks for Washington, instead of frickin' MICROSOFT?

Or even Boeing for that matter, if we're going for pedigree. Out of the three, though, Starbucks probably has a better brand image.
posted by braksandwich at 6:15 PM on June 30 [+] [!]


Lets just settle this here right now. Though their headquarters are here, only a small percentage of Starbucks employees live and work here and *no one* hear drinks that swill. Few other industries here depend on Starbucks or would go down with a Starbucks bankruptcy. Few of us are "proud" of this company.

Microsoft, fair enough. A fairly large presence in the state, with most employees dwelling here. Much of the world uses Windows, does it still come packaged with a Mt Rainier wallpaper? We all use macs now, but no doubt Microsoft did much to advance he culture of the personal computer and who doesn't love their Xbox? In the long run, Bill gates and Paul Allen turned out to be pretty good rich guy benefactors for the state and the world. There is a large tech industry spun off from and supporting Microsoft that thrives here and heavily influences the local culture. The city would be different if Microsoft left.

Boeing. The company started here a hundred years ago. The people that built the mother fucking 747, and every other plane we've taken anywhere in safety and comfort, plus who knows whatever crazy ass top secret government marvel of destruction. A company that employs 200,000 people with all different salaries and education levels and has done so for decades. Probably employ another 100,000 at least in avionic support industries. They own three fucking airports around Puget Sound, none of which is SeaTac, the one the public uses. Yeah, everyone knows someone who works at Microsoft, but literally everyone's parents *did* work at Boeing. Yeah, they moved their corporate head quarters to Chicago a couple years ago, but that was just a couple douchebags no one wanted here in our town anyway.

The interesting choice would have been Amazon. Mark my words, this is the company that is going to most define Washington state in the next 25 years. Whether we'll be proud of them or treated well as their employees remains to be seen. But we sure as hell will be buying their stuff.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 12:30 AM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Carr's for Alaska? A company that doesn't even exist anymore. Small town Alaska is more likely to shop at an IGA anyway. If you are going to rule out the obvious choices that charmedimsure mentions because they are not "Alaskan" companies, there are several others that people would think about before stupid Carr's. How about First National Bank Alaska who's founding family played a huge role in the development of the state and whose foundation generously gives gobs of money to our artists and cultural institutions. Or maybe Copper River Marketing, the coop who convinced you that Copper River salmon are the best salmon.

It's like the guy had a good idea, did one Google search, and called it done.
posted by Foam Pants at 1:51 AM on July 1, 2013


OK, I can't let this go. And, UGH, if you are going to pick a defunct manufacturer of appliances to represent Iowa, fucking pick Amana because it was started by a communal religious cult because Maytag is a label I reserve for beautiful CHEESE.
posted by Foam Pants at 2:01 AM on July 1, 2013


Indiana...Should have been Eli Lilly. Because you have to be on drugs to live here.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:48 AM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Some Yinzer you are! I'm from Philly but I'd still pick Heinz before Comcast.

Yeah but Heinz is owned by Warren Buffet now so they belong to Nebraska.
posted by octothorpe at 4:47 AM on July 1, 2013


Ohio: Not P&G?!
posted by Gordafarin at 4:59 AM on July 1, 2013


Well the original map was a bust but I've gotten some good ideas for my son's college care packages from the responses in this thread!
posted by headnsouth at 5:07 AM on July 1, 2013


A lot of Americans have never heard of "Taco John's", as it only exists in 25 US states. Is that really the best you've got Wyoming?

Should I expect anything more from a state with the economy of Uzbekistan (which also super pathetically doesn't have any corporations I've heard of).
posted by dgaicun at 5:28 AM on July 1, 2013


Here's a good choice for Delaware - The Corporation Service Company. They're one of the big registered agents for other corporations incorporated in Delaware. You couldn't actually put all the corporate logos on Delaware, it's already impossible to read the Delaware logo on the resized version of this map that's all over Facebook.

No one would get it though.
posted by interplanetjanet at 5:33 AM on July 1, 2013


While there are a lot of Taco John's there, surely Wyoming should have been a large mining or oil company like Amoco or Thunder Basin.

GE is headquartered in Connecticut

Sure, but the nasty chemicals they dumped in the Hudson will be with New Yorkers for generations to come.
posted by aught at 5:47 AM on July 1, 2013


octothorpe: " Yeah but Heinz is owned by Warren Buffet now so they belong to Nebraska."

Oh, right. I guess my brain still won't let that sink in because it just seems so wrong.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:04 AM on July 1, 2013


The fact that the West Coast is all wordless logos must mean something, but I'm not sure what.
posted by googly at 6:23 AM on July 1, 2013


It's times like this that I wish Western New York was its own state, because then we could have Wegmans.
posted by Lucinda at 6:58 AM on July 1, 2013


The fact that the West Coast is all wordless logos must mean something, but I'm not sure what.

When I was in college in the south, I asked why all the ABC liquor stores had big red circles next to them. A friend explained that it helped people who were illiterate find the stores easier, and for all intents and purposes, sometimes the 'ABC' portion would be much harder to see than the big red dot. While clearly the entire west coast isn't illiterate, what we learn is that they have branded themselves strong enough that we don't even have to see the word to know who they are - they are that ubiquitous in our culture.

With that said, with two of the three west coast logos - I don't think [specified west coast state] - I think - [probably a pretentious a-hole].
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:34 AM on July 1, 2013


While clearly the entire west coast isn't illiterate, what we learn is that they have branded themselves strong enough that we don't even have to see the word to know who they are - they are that ubiquitous in our culture.

They work better for a multilingual audience too. I've would imagine that there's a strong correlation between when companies switch to simpler logos and when they start courting a national or global audience.
posted by roll truck roll at 7:46 AM on July 1, 2013


Hasbro did this thing where they went around to different towns and put giant themed fiberglass Mr Potato Head statues in prominent places. CVS does this thing where they come to your town and put highly trained pharmacists there. But I'm biased. Chez Biblio is subsidized by CVS. In return, I argue about things like this map on their behalf.
posted by Biblio at 1:44 PM on July 1, 2013


Yes but are they giant highly trained pharmacists? *raises eyebrow*
posted by Doleful Creature at 11:18 PM on July 1, 2013


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