No Logo

Naomi Klein (b. 1970) is a Canadian author and journalist. No Logo was her first major book and an international sensation, catapulting her to the forefront of leftist theory and politics in the early 21st century. Her other works include The Shock Doctrine (2007), a criticism of neoliberal economics, and This Changes Everything (2014), a treatment of the effects of capitalism on the climate and global warming.

Besides Klein herself, the main character of No Logo is the set of multinational corporations that have created the prevailing cultural, economic, and environmental conditions of modern globalization. These corporations include a number of familiar brands, such as Walmart, Nike, Disney, the Gap, Marlboro, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Levi’s, Royal Dutch/Shell, and the Body Shop. 

Phil Knight (b. 1938) is an American businessman and co-founder of Nike. He is largely responsible for its meteoric rise since its creation in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports. Nike is perhaps Klein’s biggest target in No Logo, and she she frequently mentions Knight or quotes him to illustrate the business practices of “the Swoosh.” He is a key example of the “new rock star” CEO, along with Richard Branson of Virgin and Steve Jobs of Apple (81).