Muji is a brand without a brand. More precisely, it is an anti-brand. Popular wisdom, practice and strategy requires a brand have a definite identity and characteristics that define its persona, with product brands with the most uniquely defined and relevant characteristics and personas being more valued and sought after.

Now, it is a complete departure from those expectations and norms and is characterized by lack of character, definition or identifying mark. It is purely functional and completely stripped of all aesthetic permanence. But embracing nothingness, it has made ‘nothing’ into something that happens to be its main identity.

History Of Muji Concept

Muji is a short-hand for Japanese phrase, Mujirushi Ryohin, which translates to “no brand, quality goods” Its roots, can be traced back to the 1980s where it was a generic, private brand at the Seiyu discount department store.

According to its website, those behind the concept argues that it is not a brand whose values lies in the non-functional features (“extras”) on its products, but simply a simplicity realized by a complex and thoughtful design. This complex design involves subtracting all gratuitous features unrelated to function. This is the deliberate pursuit of the pure and the ordinary to achieve the ordinary that Muji has adopted to reach out to a wider group of people.

Take Offs

What can we take off from it? That it is a concept of doing nothing to product branding? Definitely Muji has a managerial process that controls; materials and manufacturing roles.

But how does it market? How do the products get communicated to the world- advertising? How! There has to be a Muji way. The dilemma of designing objects with no embellishment with only the essentials left to be seen is obvious. However, Muji understands the market dynamics quite well – In a market where every brand is striving to outdo the competitor by standing out, it is difficult to make the cut without a label. So, for a Muji product, having completely no label makes it stand out in any landscape of labels by actually trying not to stand out at all.

Conclusion

In its deliberate pursuit of the pure and the ordinary, Muji achieves the extraordinary. By staying true to its philosophy of “simplicity achieved through a complexity of thought and design”, Muji announces its products to the world and catches the attention of anyone interested in essentials in the most basic forms.

References

http://www.journeyfor.co.uk/blog-journeyfor/2014/3/24/a-brandless-brand

http://www.theobsessiveimagist.com/2008/08/soho.html

http://www.slideshare.net/Hogan_Sweterlitsch/dissolving-when-in-use-brand-and-nothingness

http://www.nowherenative.com/blog/2014/7/21/packhacks

https://www.behance.net/gallery/22894759/Annual-Report