History of Brands

As an entrepreneur Partner and Chief Creative Officer of invōk brands, Richard Shear’s expertise lies in helping clients uncover the visual heritage of their most iconic brands and using this design equity to help them build and position these brands in ways that inform, connect, and motivate. As a member of the School of Visual Arts Founding Faculty of the Masters in Branding program, Richard teaches the History of Branding, focusing on the interconnected evolution of global consumer culture and visual history through the last two millennia and its influences on contemporary retail brands.Mark Kingsley got his start in the music industry, designing packages for the likes of John Coltrane, Pat Metheny, Quincy Jones, Ginger Baker, and Jewel. In 2001, his work for Blue Note Records received a Grammy nomination. Mark then transitioned into the world of corporate branding. At Landor, he was the global creative lead on the Citi account, and as executive strategy director at Collins, he developed the new global positioning for Ogilvy and helped Equinox enter the luxury hotel business. His boutique studio, Malcontent, serves independent filmmakers, global advertising firms, fintech startups, arts organizations, living legends, and Pulitzer Prize winners. Mark teaches at the School of Visual Arts Masters in Branding program and recently held the endowed Melbert B. Cary Professorship in Graphic Arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is currently head of brand for the fashion brand Oumlil.Named “one of the most influential designers working today”, Debbie Millman is an author, educator, and brand strategist. She is also President Emeritus of AIGA, the Creative Director of Print Magazine, and host of the award-winning podcast series Design Matters, the first and longest running design podcast in the world.  In 2009 Debbie co-founded with Steven Heller the world’s first graduate program in branding at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Now in its sixth year, the program has achieved international acclaim.

"A History of Brands is smart, stylish and succinct — a solid introduction to branding’s long and complex history."

• IntroductionThe Origins of Consumption1. Patterns and Prints—Distributors of Information and Meaning2. An Early Global Consumption Pattern3. Elizabeth I and the Origins of Consumer Markets4. British East India Company—One of the First Global Consumer Brands5. Louis XIV—The Bourgeoisie and the Baroque6. Josiah Wedgwood—The Beginnings of Modern Merchandising and Brand IdentityThe Creation of Markets and Marketing7. The New Retail Landscape8. The New Media Landscape9. The Poster as Brand Builder10. The Name on the Label (1900s)11. The 1912 Launch of Crisco—New Products and New Lifestyles12. Peter Behrens— Brand Identity around the Wars13. Coco Chanel and the Creation of Chanel No. 514. C. Coles Phillips—An Illustrator’s Definition of the Twentieth-Century Woman15. The Role of the New Consumer16. Alex Steinweiss and Paul Rand—Two Creative Approaches to New Brand MediaThe Modern Brand Landscape17. The “Greatest Generation” of Brands: Marlboro, Minute Rice, and Mr. Clean18. The Explosion of Suburban Shopping and the Mall19. A Revolutionary Decade for Brands20. The Current Evolution of Retail in Four StepsToday’s Brand21. The Twenty-First-Century Hunter-Gatherer Culture and How We Search22. The Seven Virtues and Retail Brand ExperienceAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorAbout the Series EditorIndex