Matt MacNabb - A Secret History of Brands - The Dark and Twisted Beginnings of the Brand Names We Know and Love

Antony was admitted to the Priory psychiatric hospital after the attack, but the stay was short lived. Antony had finally seen a psychiatrist for a time after the stay, despite his father’s feelings on the subject. Brooks was very far removed from the lives of his ex-wife and son by this point, focusing instead on his own gallivanting. It was Antony’s psychiatrist who provided Barbara with a prophetic warning on 30 October 1972. Apparently, this doctor told her bluntly that Antony was likely to kill her. It was a warning that she would fatally ignore.

The events of 17 November 1972 would go down in history. Barbara, now age 50, was at home in her penthouse apartment in London. Antony went to the apartment with a plan, one that he had been formulating in his paranoid and delusional mind for some time. He took a kitchen knife and stabbed his mother, killing her almost instantly. When the police arrived on the scene, the 25-year-old Antony was on the phone attempting to order Chinese takeaway.

Antony was institutionalised at Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire for eight years, until his eventual release on 21 July 1980. There are some reports that say a bureaucratic mistake allowed for Antony’s release from the well-known high-security psychiatric hospital. There are other accounts that claim wealthy and influential friends or family may have secured his release. The move was a tragic mistake, no matter which version of events was true.

Upon his release from Broadmoor, Antony went to New York to live with his maternal grandmother, Nina Daly. This arrangement would be short lived. It took a mere six days from Antony’s release for him to become violent again; this time he attacked his elderly grandmother. He stabbed her eight times and broke some of her bones – but she did survive the attack. He later gave his reasoning behind the attack, explaining that his grandmother had been nagging him, just like his mother would. Antony was promptly arrested and sent to Rikers Island, the primary jail complex for New York City. The massive complex features both correctional and mental institutions.

On 21 March 1981, Antony appeared in court, in relation to the attack on his grandmother. The proceedings didn’t go as Antony was hoping and he was said to have been distraught. He returned to his incarceration on Rikers Island at 3.30 PM, where he suffocated himself to death with a plastic bag. His body was discovered in his cell half an hour later.

The various products that were produced with Bakelite have become increasingly collectible in the modern second-hand market. The products range from baby toys, pipes and jewellery to kitchen utensils and even firearms. People are also buying it and re-carving the Bakelite name into new items, like jewellery. The repurposing of Bakelite has become a huge fad.

Interestingly, the original colours that adorned the Bakelite product have changed, courtesy of a prolonged reaction to oxygen. A few examples include the standard brown colour morphing to a black, white appears in an amber-tone, and clear products have the appearance of apple juice. In one example, a once red, white and blue patriotic American pin is now red, yellow and black in appearance.

The family controversy, the unhealthy relationship between Barbara and Antony Baekeland, and the subsequent murder of Barbara at the hands of Antony, were chronicled in the 2007 feature film, Savage Grace . The independent film, starring Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne, was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay.

In spite of the bizarre and sometimes horrifying histories behind these brand names, there is no doubt that these people and their inventions changed the world. There may have been an immense amount of negative energy surrounding them early on, but there were also a lot of positive contributions to society from these flawed individuals. All people are complicated and life is rarely viewable in black and white, there is always that ever important grey area to explore.

Henry Ford, for example, may have had his share of personal flaws and upsetting viewpoints, but what he did contribute to the American economy and society cannot be overlooked. The automobile industry became the backbone of the American economy for several decades thanks to Ford. The autmobile industry today accounts for at least one of every twenty-two American jobs. The only reason that the car is a commonplace feature of American life is because of Ford. He was able to manufacture his affordable Model T and set a new standard for daily life and the future growth of dozens of American cities. The groundbreaking higher wages that Ford paid with his $5 per day initiative set a new standard for the working class and helped make factory and manufaturing work a viable career option.

Imagine the world that Chanel grew up in. She was born poor and abandoned by her father. She lacked emotional connection and faced boundless misogyny in a world where she wasn’t even allowed to vote, much less become a successful entrepreneur. In the face of this adversity she was able to become successful and leave a lasting mark on fashion that survives to this day. Chanel actually created costume jewellery and made it a staple, so that women wouldn’t have to own just one or two key pieces of more expensive jewelry. Instead, a woman could have the option to accessorise her daily outfits with a variety of less expensive, but still flashily appearing jewellery. Chanel also helped rid women of the burdens of elaborate clothing and even more restrictive underclothes. She found difficulty in riding horses in a skirt so, in an act of inspirational feminism, she took the pants right of a male rider and put them on herself, a move that was unheard of at the time. It soon became fashionable for women to wear pants. Add to all that ‘the little black dress’, a simple but elegant staple in many wardrobes.

These are just a few examples of the immense amount of good that has come from these important fixtures in history. In today’s world the art of branding has become an important staple. A brand can be anything from a certain company to an individual, like an actor or singer. The benefits of branding, as they are seen today, include the building of customer loyalty and trust, enhanced product recognition, better product positioning, successful introduction of new products and the building of brand equity. Brand equity is the idea that a brand itself, rather than any one product, can be of great value. This can lead to franchising and a far higher price tag on both stock and sale prices. A brand can also be a status symbol to many, showing that you have the coolest or latest product, regardless of the quality or effectiveness of that product.

It is important to keep those that are famous and well regarded, both in history and in today’s world, off a pedestal. It is easy to glorify those that contribute to culture in a positive way, but there is an old saying about Hollywood: ‘never meet your heroes’. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes in life, some bigger than others. Our imperfections are often considered to be our weaknesses, but they are also a major part of our make-up as individuals. It is my sincere hope that you take away from this book the reminder that we must never forget our history – a rule that should always be carefully regarded – lest we be doomed to repeat it. When you see these products on the shelves or in your own home it’s okay to use them without guilt or negative feeling, because we all know how far away these companies are from their dark pasts. Hopefully, we can remember the history and harbour the knowlege, without taking away from the fantastic products that we’re left with. You can drink that Coke or eat that delicious bowl of Corn Flakes without reproach, but certainly with some enlightening anectodes to share with those close to you.