As an examination of the role of corporations in different facets of modern life, No Logo places the interrelated themes of branding, marketing, and advertising front and center. For Klein, subtle and incremental shifts in branding since roughly the 1980s have brought about economic, political, and cultural changes that have remade the world under the aegis of globalization.

The key development is the “brands, not products” formula adopted by companies like Nike and Starbucks, as well as upmarket clothing labels like Calvin Klein, Levi’s, and Diesel (21). Rather than focusing on traditional manufacturing, these corporations have largely outsourced production to subcontractors in the developing world and prioritized marketing and advertising. As Klein puts it, “What these companies produced primarily were not things [. . .] but images of their brands” (4).

According to Klein, this shift from manufacturing to marketing constitutes a revolution in the function of branding. Advertising is no longer a means to an end—that is, a method of informing consumers about a product—but the end itself: the creation of a durable corporate image whose meaning exceeds the purpose of any single consumption item. For example, Starbucks does not just sell coffee. The company promotes itself as an intimate public space for community, culture, and connection.