Finding Bliss in Branded Commodities

Morton Salt—now owned by a German company that makes fertilizer and chemicals—is one of the best-known (and most beloved) brands in the world.

So why isn’t there a brand of black pepper with the same tip-of-our-tongue renown?

There are still hundreds of faceless commodities—from cardboard shipping boxes to wax paper—that clever folks like us could “own” with an equally clever brand.

Hey, if it works for the Duck Tape brand of duct tape (and other) products, it can certainly work for us.

Who’s in? And which boring, everyday product should we tackle first? If I were teaching a design or branding course, I can’t think of a more fun or creative class project.