Logo Recognition...It Starts This Early?
This is sorta scary: Over the past few days, I've noticed that Baby A totally recognizes some corporate logos...at 22 months old.
Moment of Recognition #1: Last Thursday, we drove to Charleston (S.C.) for a long weekend. When we stopped at Chick-fil-A for lunch, Baby A kept grabbing the cup, pointing to each of the locations of the chicken-head C logo, and laughing and shouting, "Chick-fil-A!" (Yes, shouting. We're working on that.)
Moment of Recognition #2: Two hours ago, when I was changing her before her nap, she needed some diaper cream. I let her hold the tube. She pointed to the Target logo and said, "Target! Diaper cream from Target!" We use several brands, and I’ve never told her this one’s from Target.
If you think about it, logo recognition is a very primitive kind of reading: see shape, connect shape with a larger meaning. It's exactly what kids are wired to do during these early years.
All of which gives early brand loyalty a disturbingly smooth start.
I'm aware that corporations, including food and beverage companies, also want to imbue their logos with an emotional connection, a positive emotional experience. So, if you drank Coca-Cola on your first date, or if you have fond memories of your dad taking you to McDonald's, you'll recall those warm feelings and be more likely to choose Coke or McDonald's as an adult. And, their advertising is designed to make you recall those feelings.
Guess I’ll just have to remember to shield Baby A's eyes from the logos of, say, Paper Denim + Cloth, Kate Spade, Prada, DeBeers, Dom Perignon, Maison du Chocolat, and so on…at least until she’s old enough to have her own job.