this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2025
1155 points (96.8% liked)
Programmer Humor
22854 readers
206 users here now
Welcome to Programmer Humor!
This is a place where you can post jokes, memes, humor, etc. related to programming!
For sharing awful code theres also Programming Horror.
Rules
- Keep content in english
- No advertisements
- Posts must be related to programming or programmer topics
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Amateurs!
At Thermo Fischer, you had to work for 5 years before you got the branded Tshirt! And a base all cap.
Besides the odd biro, never once did I ever use company merch outside of an office. Definitely never used the shitty backpacks or laptop bags. Those got donated to Goodwill.
People run around with nike logos
And pay for it. People are walking ads
This is why I've always loved unmarked clothes since I was in middle school. When I was a kid I was very cynical about being branded
Same. While I don't necessarily do anything to actively avoid branding, I won't wear anything where it's prominent.
load more comments
(1 replies)
There's a cyberpunk novel called Feed in which some teenager got a trendy Nike tattoo that would force him to say "Nike" in every sentence. I think that's the next step in our deliberate effort to pay for the privilege of branding ourselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BYFbXJKJ8U
Transcript for those that don't want to watch the video: Secretary of State: I'm Secretary of State, brought to you by Carl's Jr. Pvt. Joe Bowers: Why do you keep saying that? Secretary of State: Because they pay me everytime I do.
There's a new Black Mirror episode about a brain implant that randomly injects ads into conversation without the consent or knowledge of the "user".
load more comments
(1 replies)
I just realized how odd it would be to see people walking around in brandless clothes. As odd as when someone removes all the badges from their car.
The advertising has been so prevalent for so long that it has been normalized. Fascinating.
You mean like a suit? Like plenty of clothing, designer or not, has no branding at all.
Is it? I just checked and my current attire has no visible branding on it.
load more comments
(3 replies)
Sure, but good luck finding a decent quality running shoe without conspicuous branding at a local shop though.
Can't wear it, if they don't make it.
This is why I spent my highschool years in combat boots. Ankle support, tough soles, the same footwear was great for hiking, shopping, whatever. Inconspicuous if your pant legs cover them. Like $40 at the time. Lasted me beyond school.
Only downside was I lived in a desert so too much time outside would make them really hot. That, and I got a lot of people scuffing them going "HEY ARE THOSE STEEL TOE?!" (they were not)
Meanwhile shoes that fall apart in 3 months had some giant billboard logo so you'd have to keep up with their latest image, I guess. Gross.
load more comments
(2 replies)
load more comments
(11 replies)
I bring swag from my previous employers to whatever employer I am currently at :)
Let them know how much I care about company spirit.
Bonus point if you bring stuff mainly from bankrupt companies
Yeah, they did the branding thing to people too.
Yeah I’ll take the free backpack over the actual “Yellowstone brand” to be part of the gang.
I work for Microsoft. When I had a kid they sent a "care package" with some items. But literally every item had "Microsoft" or "Met Life" (our employee life insurance I think) all over everything.
I ripped the "met life" shirt off of the snoopy plush and trashed everything else.
It's not just limited to backpacks. They try to turn everything, even a kids blanket, into a fucking ad. It's so gross.
You can't send some cheap items to your employee without branding it with an ad.
I don't work for MetLife. Why the fuck would that even be on there? I guess they want to keep reminding me to get life insurance because I'm a kid. Like, holy fuck, I hate this shit.
Fuck Microsoft. Fuck their support of genocide. I didn't even choose to work here. They bought my startup company for pennies on the dollar during Covid.
I ripped the "met life" shirt off of the snoopy plush and trashed everything else.
Trashing was maybe unnecessary? Could've donated it to those in need.
However I do support the sentiment. Fuck Microsoft. Hopefully you'll be able to find employment that is more fulfilling and less genocidal. (This is not a stab at you, I get working for an evil company and wanting to get away from it).
It’s probably also because of tax. Here in the Netherlands, you cannot provide any clothes without a logo of a certain size. Otherwise it would be seen as ‘wages’. True to some extent. This is why companies here print their logos on stuff (even for newborn rompers).
Fuck Microsoft. Fuck their support of genocide.
I've been avoiding Microsoft like the plague because of other reasons for a long time, so I didn't know about this.
load more comments
(1 replies)
What am I going to do, buy my own backpack and lug their laptop back and forth in that? I'll gladly take a free backpack
I work for a multi billion multi national medical technology company at their office in central london. On day one after i got the job they gave me a brand spanking new top of the line macbook pro worth over £3k. I asked them for a bag for it and the IT guy who gave it to me looked like i slapped him in the face.
"Am i supposed to walk around central london with 3k of macbook in a plastic shopping bag?"
He produced some weird fabric envelope thing from a cupboard.
Luckily i'm sad enough to turn up to work with my own laptop in my own bag so i did have a bag but he had no way of knowing that
Do you get to choose it with a budget or they buy whatever cheap, uncomfortable thing was available? I'd much rather use my own equipment if I'm gonna be using it everyday.
In our company we (at least IT department) get to choose our own bags (within reason). I have some generic lenovo backpack they had laying around when I started and it's decent enough. Maybe a bit smaller side on what I'd like, but it carries my laptop, headset, random cables, power supply, notepad and stuff like that just fine. And it doesn't have any kind of visible logo on it at all, unless you count the Think(r) colour scheme on zipper tabs.
And it's also a security thing. Should someone steal my backpack it does not have any logos to pinpoint which company it belongs unless I've left my lanyard in the pocket with my rfid-tag. And of course if you open the laptop it has AD forest name on there, so it's pretty trivial to figure out, but at least I'm not advertising 'steal my things if you want access to this company' everywhere.
load more comments
(1 replies)
Personally I find it to be bad OPSEC, it just puts a big target on a potential victim from bad actors that are specifically targetting that business.
If some nefarious actor wants to target me and steal my work laptop out of the work bag with the work logo on it, 🤷. I just work there, bro. Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Just buy a seam ripper, and sanitize your branded sweater/blanket/jacket/etc from their embroidered trademark.
Isopropyl alcohol or xylene can take off most printed/transfer logos on plastic or metal objects.
Worst case scenario you give it to someone else/homeless so it doesn’t end up in a landfill or wastefully recycling an otherwise usable product.
I like the look of the stencil/shape left behind by a removed logo.
Feels rebellious.
Linard! Why Isn't your GPS tracking device working.
I'll fix it right away
One year later
Linard, I need to commend you, you've been in office 24/7 365.
In the Netherlands it's Doppers
Buy a seam ripper, then spend every boring waste of time meeting picking out the logo stitching, find a new job when you're done.
Nobody can pay me enough for me to carry their logo as free publicity.
I wear logoed clothing because the logo acts as identification and grants me special acess to fenced off areas, which I otherwise wouldn't be able to lawfully acess. But when the clock is off, the logo is off.
Which snap apart the instant you try to carry more than a laptop and some chocolate wrappers with'em...
load more comments
(1 replies)
Always thought that company merch is cringe. There may be a small minority of companies that do awesome things that aren't immoral, but the majority aren't.
OpenSUSE gives out cute little chameleon plushies and if that's wrong I don't want to be right.
load more comments
(1 replies)
Meh I don’t like wearing the logo outside but we get a decent number of hoodies and sweatpants which are great for WFH/indoors days. Usually a decent brand and comfy.