A history of pirate branding

No, this isn’t a blog post about pirated products: Instead, it’s a link to a fascinating New York Times article on how the skull and crossbones went from an esoteric ensign to become the internationally recognised symbol for all pirates in the early 1700s.

The article argues that the Jolly Roger was an early example of brand power: It was recognised, understood and responded to because of its “clarity of meaning” - and so added value to the pirate’s operation:

“What pirates wanted was profit, and to make it in the least costly way… If they could terrorize a ship on approach, they could get what they wanted with minimum trouble.”

It’s a lesson for every would-be brand: Does your identity immediately and emotively convey your intent? Does it provoke an intuitive response that saves (or makes) your business money?