Myth-O-Matic

In this modern-day breakneck-paced digital world of glassified logos and shiny handheld mobile networking devices, it sure is easy for companies to get focused on things that promise quick and cool emotional returns.

It’s important to embrace certain aspects of this web 2.0 world—I mean, you gotta keep up with the upstream swimmers in your school of fish, but when the widgets and gadgets become a primary driving force in professional practices, it can cause some problems. When what could be done becomes synonymous with what should be done, some refocusing may be in order.

Allow me to explain. As an example, I want to use the great 20th century philosopher George Lucas’ modern-day mythic hero—Obi-Wan Kenobi, or in our case, “Old” Ben Kenobi from the Star Wars saga.

If you look over the span of the Star Wars story, chronologically from Episode I to Episode VI, Obi-Wan stands out as the most noble, dependable, and ironically, badass Jedi of them all. He was always mindful of a greater mission, “the force,” and unified with his friends in this goal, no matter how chaotic his universe became. He even stayed true to his mission when his friend and apprentice turned his back on him.

And speaking of his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker was the opposite. Anakin was enamored with his own abilities, overly fascinated with technology, emotionally immature and mentally unstable. All this resulted in the pulling apart of his mind and body—fueled by the unquenchable drive to dominate the universe and all of its inhabitants.

What a treat it is to be introduced to this modern myth by entering the timeline in the middle of the story. That brings us back to Old Ben Kenobi. Luke Skywalker, after years of hearing communal whispers of Ben’s greatness as a warrior in the Clone Wars, finally meets him face-to-face. When Ben hands down Anakin’s old light saber to Luke, I get chills. As a designer, I have to give it to George Lucas for creating a visual taxonomy of Jedi existence, told through the medium of light saber design, and for infusing those weapons with the textured story of its respective owner.

Here’s the point. Ben Kenobi’s life and mortal end was not manifested in a chic flat with a three-speeder garage overlooking the zipping metropolis of Coruscant. No, Ben lived the hard life and he laid down his own life in the end, so that Luke and countless others could live. All for the greater good. All because of his faith in “the force.”

Does your organization have ego-centric individuals, slowly morphing into mechanical droids, programmed to mindlessly carry out the mundane tasks of everyday life? While Anakin did come out okay in the end, Obi-Wan accepted the reality of his job, planned accordingly, and hoped for his mission and that of his friends to come to fruition. And it did.

So, resist the dark side. While he may look like a shiny badass, don’t be a Lord Vader. Go ahead and accept it. Wield the rusty light saber. Don’t be afraid. Plan to succeed, and stick to that plan, no matter the circumstances… be an “Old” Ben Kenobi, and may the force be with you.

In branding, and every other aspect of business, I’m realizing that quality wins the day and is truly the prevalent force that positively affects the bottom line. Brand myth is the interweaving of different story threads—a long-term endeavor, and a discipline, but one that’s focused primarily on quality and not shot-in-the-dark projections that may or may not bear dividends.