Brand Culture | Household Gods

In the old days our ancestors often appealed to a set of household gods to help them “magically” achieve one tricky task or another — to make sure, for example, the fire burned, the bread rose, and the beer bubbled. These domestic spirits are the boggarts, brownies, dobbies, hobgoblins, and pucks of British folklore (and Harry Potter).

It’s clear this belief in household gods persists to this day, only now we call them household brands. Like household gods, household brands vary from family to family and are part and parcel of your cultural background.

In my case, the brands that spring to mind are: WD-40, Arm & Hammer baking soda, McIlhenny Co. Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce, and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce.  To me these all share a certain “magical” quality, and somehow I don’t feel quite right unless I have them in my house.

I can also think of two brands that are in danger of losing their household god status: Morton Salt and C&H Pure Cane Sugar.  I no longer feel quite so compelled to have these on my pantry shelf, and it may be no coincidence that I’ve become intrigued by gourmet salts and sugars — you often want to replace one bit of magic with another.

So, what are your household gods?