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When it comes to selling a product, companies go out of their way to make theirs as attractive as possible. The marketing, the package design, and even the product itself scream in hopes of drawing your attention, whether they’re on your phone screen or on the store shelves. And thus we are constantly engulfed by the noise that these products make.

Kunel Gaur, an Indian artist and founder of the Animal advertising agency with whom Bored Panda got in touch for an interview, has decided to transform some of the well-known screaming global brands into generic, less noisy ones by giving them a dystopian brutalist design—a style that intentionally attempts to look raw and unadorned.

The artist seeks to experiment with this somewhat minimalist way of brand communication. By having blank brands that aren’t forcefully trying to draw people’s attention, these products might possibly lead to establishing a stronger connection with their target audience.

Bored Panda invites you to take a look at what the brands we all know and love would look like from a generic brutalist perspective. Below you will also find our conversation with artist Kunel Gaur.

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Tabitha L
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This doesn't make sense. Brutalist is a style of architecture that uses raw concrete, from the French beton brute (raw concrete). This is not "brutalist".

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"The series is an ode to functional design inspired by Brutalism," explained Gaur the inspiration behind this idea. "In a world where all brands are trying to get your attention, I wanted to experiment with stripped down, product level communication behavior of known brands, sans the embellishments they're typically identified with."

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Erin
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think they actually had a white skittles package at some point, I don't remember why though...

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Angry Duck
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But but I only like the blue ones how am I supposed to know which ones are blue if they’re all white? ToT

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Gaur also explained the symbolism and the purpose of these brutalistic designs: "The objective was to try and start a conversation about consumerism—the role it plays in our lives and the way we perceive it. Being a founder of a design and advertising agency, working with brands on an everyday basis, where it's part of the job to build one, this was also a meta-perspective on my professional work."

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Eli Lynch
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't see bad packaging or sadness. I see TRUTH on packaging and information easier to find. I see people making decisions on foods and products based upon facts and quality. Not flashy slogans. I see a more recyclable product container as some recyclers can't handle many colored inks.

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Gemma Priest
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It bothers me that dominoes are literally black and white, and do not look like the modified logo (ie you don't get an all white domino). At least fill the whole circle in black to resemble a domino??

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A number of universally well-known brands are included in this experiment. We've asked Gaur if there was a specific reason why these particular brands were chosen. He said the following:

"I selected brands that have great recall, or contribute to the popular culture in some way or the other. Recall helps in being able to re-adjust the existing perception of the brand purely on shock value, followed by reason. The most interesting part of the project is the different challenges that each brand comes with. Some brands have mascots, while others use abbreviations (or monograms) as their brand name. To simplify the mascots or characters that are an integral (often most identifiable) part of some of these brands, I used pictograms keeping them close to the original form and proportions on the packaging."

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Lastly, we've asked Gaur about his future plans regarding this project: "I plan to produce life-size versions of few of the brands from the series. They will be made in limited quantity in materials like marble dust and resin. Apart from this, I'm working on creating some work out of my writings—either as street art or installations where I want to explore this style further."

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Andy boi
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait why are there nutrition facts if you can fill the cup with different things

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M O'Connell
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Um, isn't their packaging monochrome anyway? Black on aluminum foil?

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Wixuan Fu
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If they sell this for the actual prise, then I say thats a rip off

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Nicky OldfieldDesciple
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very true.. We have a shockingly bad history. And yes, I am English and I cringe with shame when I read about our history.

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Ember
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ahh, gum wrappers are so satisfying to me, when you unwrap them

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Eli Lynch
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I honestly think designer hand bags, belts and clothes should just have "brand whore" written boldly on everything. Luis Vuitton is one of the worst offenders.

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Ember
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wasn't this here earlier? Also, these remind me of cough drops and some other candy in the back of my mind