Gifting & Decommodification..... I have some useful gifts, but........

[EGAZ]

..... They have branding on them. I have read posts on other sites and it seems to be a fiddy/fiddy discussion.

Some say a little or non obtrusive is 'OK'
Some say, 'It depends'... I take that to mean it depends on how cool the gift is to the user.
Some say, cover the brand with paint, marker, tape, alter it a bit,
Some say, no what so ever.

Attached is what I have as part of my gifting. I have been collecting them forever thinking some day I will use this pile of lanyards and ticket/pass pockets. Well now I think I can use them but want to run it by all of you. I can put blue painters tape over the logos on the pockets, but most of the lanyards have logos on one side. I suppose you could flip them over for BM but they will still be 'slightly' visible.

The "damn it, these are functional and useful" in me says just do it. Some will use them for carrying their ID copy, paper with their camp address and lock combo or name if they forget. While others may not take them. No prob.

How should I proceed?

I know, as a gifter (is that a word?) no reciprocation is expected. Is it OK to put my camp name, (see my avatar) camp address to possibly meet later? Thought it was a good way for a Birgin like me to make new friends.

[Captain Goddammit]

It's fine, you don't need to go that far to "decommodify".
Yes, it's fine and even kind of cool to put your camp info or your own info on it.

[illy dilly]

Eldergeekaz, I think its a great gift idea!
Personally, I wear pants or shorts at Burnin Man and have pockets but a lot of people don't and something like this would be helpful.

I wouldn't worry too much about the logos. You're not "selling" or promoting something. Your gifting something that has a logo on it. You don't gain anything from the logo.

The idea of covering with something personal you made is awesome.
You could print the current years map on those peel and stick shipping labels that come with 4 to 10 on a regular 8x11 sheet. The ones you can use in any printer.
Somthing Like These Maybe.

I would definitely cover one or two with something really offensive or really tacky porn. If someone complains, swap it for the offensive one and watch their expression.

[EGAZ]

.......swap it for the offensive one and watch their expression.

Ha! Didn't think of that. So, were does one find porn?
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[Savannah]

.......swap it for the offensive one and watch their expression.

Ha! Didn't think of that. So, were does one find porn?

I wish I knew . . .

Oh, man! One year my lovely friend Nate gifted disposable cigarette lighters decorated in NSFW gay images . . . delightful! I still have mine. It was the only one that didn't have nudity on it, which was important to me in order to be able to show it to (just about) anyone. It had grown men in Scout uniforms, posing like models on the cover of Vanity Fair. Cursive logo: "Wide Open".

Oh yeah, and to add my answer to the chorus: no, a small, truly random logo on a useful gift would generally be considered innocuous. (I also might get offered a canned soda, but no one's going to cover up the name brand.) If you were a company rep or employee, or were giving out only [Brand X] product, it'd be different.

One year (before they start color-coding them) ESD had at least a few lanyards from a Bail Bonds company. I think someone got a pile of them for free, so they figured, "Why not?"

[EGAZ]

Quick Draft

BMC2 sticker.jpg

[Sham]

There is not really a very fine line with advertising on gifts. If you are gifting a SEALED bottle of booze to a bar, brand names are much better than Acme brand vodka. If you have a cooler full of cold drinks that you want to offer up, there is no need to cover the name Coke or Sprite on the cans.

I also like to recommend to people attending their first year not to go too crazy on gifting. It's not Halloween and people are not expecting anything from you. When I offer up a gift to someone, I work really hard to make it something they consider very special---not just in my imagination, but for real. I sincerely expect nothing whatsoever in return. If my gift is as special as I hope, the excitement from the recipient just makes me happy.

One of the things I've been bringing for many years are bike locks. I pass out about 30 of them to people who just forgot. The locks may (or may not) have the manufacturers name on them. There is no need to hide the name.

[EGAZ]

Gotchya Sham. My gifts, as you can see, are more functional/useful as opposed to art I created. I can't draw a circle without a compass or soup can. But I can fabricate with the best. (look out FIGJAM)

It's not much and will be given to those I see need them.

Thanks for the reply!!

[theCryptofishist]

One year (before they start color-coding them) ESD had at least a few lanyards from a Bail Bonds company. I think someone got a pile of them for free, so they figured, "Why not?"

I remember that. Scott wouldn't use them--he was rather square, in a way. It may have been more than one year.

[Savannah]

One year (before they start color-coding them) ESD had at least a few lanyards from a Bail Bonds company. I think someone got a pile of them for free, so they figured, "Why not?"

I remember that. Scott wouldn't use them--he was rather square, in a way. It may have been more than one year.

Not sure! I think it was my first ESD year, so I didn't have any other lanyard.

I can understand him not wanting to use it, especially if he had something better.

[BoyScoutGirl]

As the others have said: is it necessary to cover/remove smaller logos? Not really.
Would covering/removing the logos be appreciated? Yes. Not by everyone, but certainly by many of us.

My $0.02: If you can do so, think of the act of removing/obscuring the logo as part of the gift. Likewise, no gift is mandatory, so if you need to spend your time/energy/funds on other, more critical things (infrastructure, finding a ticket, etc.), do that first.

[theCryptofishist]

One year (before they start color-coding them) ESD had at least a few lanyards from a Bail Bonds company. I think someone got a pile of them for free, so they figured, "Why not?"

I remember that. Scott wouldn't use them--he was rather square, in a way. It may have been more than one year.

Not sure! I think it was my first ESD year, so I didn't have any other lanyard.

I can understand him not wanting to use it, especially if he had something better.

He felt the duties were to be taken seriously. I can't argue with that.