Assignment 2-2 Icon Analysis

The three icons I chose were the 90's grunge band Pearl Jam, Campbell's Soup, and Nike. Pearl Jam is one of the first grunge bands of the 90's and today are one of the most popular alternative bands of all time. They got there start in 1990 in Seattle, WA with the release of their debut album "Ten". They have released 11 studio albums and in 2009 re released "Ten". In addition to that they have released several live albums. Campbell's Soup is the world's leading manufacturer of canned soup. It was founded in 1869 by Joseph Campbell and Abraham Anderson. They began by producing canned vegetables, fruit, meats, and preserves. They have grown into a household name and can be recognized only by the label that is placed on their products. The third icon I have chosen is Nike. Nike came about because in 1959 a running coach at the University of Oregon named Bill Bowerman wanted to find a lighter running shoe, and one of his runners wanted to find a career that revolved around his love for athletics when he graduated. After several years and a long road travelled, Nike was developed in 1970. The Nike symbol, "The Swoosh" was invented in 1971 to represent the wing of the Greek Goddess NIKE. They are now one of the top selling and most popular sports apparel and equipment manufacturers in the world.

I chose these three icons because even though they have grown to be the best in their fields they still pride themselves on the fact that they are giving back and standing up for what they believe in. The members of Pearl Jam have prided themselves on being the outcast in the music industry. It's been said that they are purposefully killing their success. They have chosen to not give in to the corporate greed. Two things that they have done, which has lead to be praised and criticized for at the same time, are their boycott of Ticketmaster, stating it is a monopoly, and not making music videos. Their lead singer Eddie Vedder chose to take the band in a non-commercial direction. They lost some fans but managed to stay true to their beliefs and the real fans, the ones they were trying to help, held on and stuck with them throughout. Campbell's Soup, on the other hand, offers a give back in exchange for purchasing their product. For the past 30 years Campbell's has offered the Labels for Education Program. They encourage people to collect labels from their products and turn them into their local school. The schools can turn the labels in to the company in exchange for equipment to be used by the students. To date, Campbell's has provided over $100 millions in equipment to schools. The Nike foundation has sponsored several different initiatives over the years. Currently they are working in Brazil to find the best practices to challenge rigid gender norms and encourage men and boys to be more accepting of women. They are also focusing on decreasing sexual and physical abuse and promote wellness and parenting classes.

These three icons stand out to me because they all found a way to rise to the top and still find a way to give back. Their are many other bands that stood for something when they were just starting out, and companies that started in a basement or in someone's garage as a two man operation with donations made from friends and family. Once they "made it big" they conveniently forgot what their stand was or what their humble beginnings were like. They are very thoughtfully know today as "sellouts". They let themselves go for a check. These three icons did not do that. They have taken what was created and make use of it and allow others to benefit and ways they may have never thought possible.