What is the most enduring logo?  Not the Apple or IBM’s iconic logos, but the skull and crossbones.  According to the New York Times it’s the “Jolly Roger” skull and crossbones that first appeared in the early 1700s and was rapidly adopted by most pirates.

“The key to its success was clarity of meaning, which is an essential element in every effective branding project, and any other form of communication design. Just as Nike’s ‘swoosh’ logo makes us think of speed and the horse-drawn carriage in Hermès’s identity screams posh, the sight of a skull and crossbones on a ship’s flag signaled one thing to 18th-century sailors like those on the Poole or the merchant vessels they were protecting: terror.”

The pirates’ strong brand caused the ships that they targeted to surrender out of fear, so the pirates used less ammunition, incurred less casualties and could pillage their victims more quickly, then they could presumably attack that many more ships, increasing their profit margin.

Evidently the Jolly Roger was also a very adaptable logo like the Nickelodeon and Google logos are today.

“A black flag signified that the pirates would ‘give quarter’ or spare the lives of those who surrendered, and a red one signaled ‘no quarter.’”

“Wynn’s hourglass declared that time was running out for his victims. Other pirates added macabre motifs such as skeletons, daggers or spears. One of Black Bart’s flags sported two skulls, each representing an enemy against whom he was plotting vengeance.”

Alas the power of the Jolly Roger logo waned quickly. By the mid 1700s the skull and crossbones had moved from being a icon of lawlessness to being adopted as a British regimental emblem and later the symbol for poison.  It’s still a icon of the rebel and outlaw, but more cheeky than fearsome as it can be found on biker’s jackets and infant’s onesies.

I was inspired recently by an NPR Music podcast about “breaking up” with a once favorite band and it got me thinking about the strong relationships we have with brands and what makes us break up with them. It can be lots of things:

Long Distance. Some brands are so entrenched in a local geography that when you move away, you just kind of forget about it. You may see them when you’re home visiting your parents, and you remember why you liked them so much—but you’ve moved on…literally. (“It’s not you, it’s me, White Hen Pantry)

Age. Some brands mean the world to you at various ages but as you grow older—they just lose their resonance. (Esprit. I’m looking at you.) The fun thing is if you have kids, you get to dip back into some childhood brands all over again (oh Duplo! I’ve missed you!)

Dishonesty. Disappointment. This is the most egregious break up as it usually happens when a brand stops delivering on it’s promise. I recently made up (with an experience brand!!) that I had broken up with years ago: I wore NIKE shoes all through grade school and high school sports. I was a loyal (athlete) customer and have fond memories of my Nikes and big wins. But then NIKE stopped making good shoes. They hurt, felt flat and no matter how I tried to sell myself on them (“they’ll be different this time, I know it”), they stopped making the quality product that I had come to love. And I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Recently though I went to the best running store in the world in my hometown and decided to try them again. Low and behold—NIKE won me back. They put the focus back in their running shoes and won back a customer who had been lost for years. (It feels good. We’ve both matured.)

It’s a good lesson. No matter how much a brand puts a lot of flash on advertising, retail design or online experiences—if they don’t make a quality product and deliver on their brand promise—it’s time to break up.

What brands have you broken up with? Are you on the verge of a break up?

Harkening back to its brand’s heyday of fun, bold and provocative messaging, Reebok is undergoing a ree-vitalization of its brand (pardon the branded word coinage) with the help of two product lines: EasyTone and ZigTech.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of hearing Rich Prenderville, Reebok’s director of global brand marketing, speak at this month’s installation of the Ad Club’s CMO Breakfast Series. Prenderville briefly walked the audience through the company’s long history, revealing a brand that, until recently, was characterized by disparate messaging and myriad brand marks.

While Reebok legitimately lays claim to being one of the world’s oldest sporting shoes companies (in the 1890’s J.W. Foster and Sons, its original parent company, created the first known running shoes with spikes), Reebok first experienced meteoric growth in the 1980’s alongside the nascent aerobic fitness movement, marking both an influx of women into sports and exercise and the acceptance of athletic footwear by adults for casual wear. And this winning formula underlies much of their marketing strategy today, it seems.

Their most recent campaigns for EasyTone, produced by DDB Berlin, center on well-toned female butts, surrounded by bright colors and doing a variety of activities. Similarly sexual, a viral video campaign for ZigTech featured naked (aside from ZigTech sneakers) athletes and celebrities doing exercises.

The aim, says Prenderville, is to redefine Reebok’s positioning and differentiate it from its competitors. Nike, for instance, embodies a type of athletic asceticism, evidenced by its tagline: “Just do it.” Adidas, Reebook’s sister brand, represents athletic aspiration and achievement of heightened goals: “Impossible is nothing.” These brands, Prenderville says, convey participation in sports as something for the elite, unattainable to everyday people. Reebok’s new messaging, in contrast, aims to focus on a different perspective of sport: fun.  

The shift back toward attempting to ‘own’ the fun of fitness, Prenderville explains, was precipitated by success in an unlikely experiential venture: mixing circus acts and fitness. Teaming up with Cirque du Soleil, Reebok launched a new gym workout called Jukari Fit to Fly, which combines suspension and cardio training. The program was originally launched across Equinox gyms in 14 different cities.

Beyond Jukari and sexy ads, though, what will Reebok do to ree-‘own’ fun fitness? What experiences will it create – both in-person and online – to indelibly link its brand in the minds and hearts of consumers with the fun of sport? The path is uncertain, but I know it’ll take more than imagery of nice butts and legs to win this guy over from the aspirational aims of their elitist counterparts.

If you’ve been following the sports news lately, there seems to be a string of bad behavior followed by little to no repercussions. (Tiger. Ben. I’m looking at you sternly.) There is a great NY Times Op-Ed piece called “NIKE’s Women Problem.”

It brings up the interesting dilemma for uber experience brand NIKE and the two contrasting brand stories they’re serving up with their recent inactions. Without writing too much of an op-ed piece myself, this is a clear example of how a brand needs to be consistent at all times. And the story it’s telling must be authentic.

As a former athlete who’s played on teams sponsored by NIKE, I’ve experienced the powerful support they provide for women’s athletics and empowerment in general. So this mixed message of we support strong women but it’s OK for some of our top athletes to disrespect women is one I’d be interested to see how (if ever) they address.