Is Generic a Brand?

Ever wondered how much your kitchen knives would cost you if they didn’t have the brand name on them?

According to Brandless, about 40% less than what they sell for, apparently.

Brandless is a new online shop that’s best described as what would happen if you put a Whole Foods inside of an IKEA. Everyday essentials, organic food, but at the “broke millennial” price tag. Their philosophy? No one should have to pay the “BrandTax” (trademarked, FYI) for quality goods.

And while they’re right, is Brandless itself a…brand?

We all know what a generic is and how they’re often times made in the same factory as the name-brand goods, but when you take a generic item and throw a name on it, it, in theory, becomes a brand.

And while Brandless may not have the “BrandTax” they criticize, they definitely do keep the Brand part. Their philosophy of making everything under $3, organic, GMO-free, not tested on animals and environmentally friendly is what separates them from the other generics and makes them what they aspire not to be (for those not sure what that is, it’s a brand).

We’re already a brand centric society, and Brandless looks like they want to change that. But is being cheap and “good enough” strong enough to sell that face wash that doesn’t have a designer logo on it?  Only time will tell if they succeed in life — or, rather only TIME© will tell if they succeed in LIFE®