Jon Does Not Work At Staples
I came across this video today. At first I found it to be incredibly funny…
…but then it got me thinking about the things we use to identify ourselves, and more importantly, the assumptions we make about people based on their assumed identity.
Employees at my company take pride in our products. On any given day of the week, the majority of my fellow employees wear t-shirts, hats, jackets, or pins associated with our products. At lunch time, it’s easy to spot employees of my company walking around the nearby mall. In short, it’s very easy to identify a fellow employee by what he or she is wearing.
The same merchandise, however, is available to our community of customers. People not remotely associated with my company can buy the same t-shirts, hats, jackets, pins, and a host of other merchandise to show their loyalty and love of our products. So at events such as our annual conference, where consumers and employees converge, it becomes almost impossible to tell the difference.
Deliberately wearing a Staples shirt to Staples is a little extreme, but it does highlight how quick we are at making assumptions regarding individual identity. When Jon told the lady that he didn’t work there, he was telling the truth. The lady still didn’t believe him. Why does the logo on his shirt overrule what he says? Have we, as a society, become so suspicious of each other that seeing something defeats verbal explanation?
With this being Friday, I have to make reference to another of my favourite flash mobs. It’s the ImprovEverywhere guys again, this time from a few years ago. They got a bunch of people to dress in royal blue polo shirts and khakis and hang out in a Best Buy. Hilarity ensues…
The same thing happens; assumed identity. It’s a facet of human nature that I find particularly interesting. In the Best Buy case, check out more of the story and footage here.
