Until 9^th August 2011, ‘rebellion’ was the rallying cry for a raft of sportwear, fashion and lifestyle brands.  Carrying the archetype of the Outlaw, with its ethos of disruption and destruction, as their battle standard, these brands urged young people to fearlessly confront authority and challenge the establishment.  But the same brands who told their consumers it was cool to be dangerous looked on in dismay as hoody-clad looters took this call to action a little too literally and gave their logos a reach and visibility they’d pay good money for in any other context.    Sedition makes for great advertising – but terrible PR.

So now that the young firebrands have to find a new kind of rebellion to champion and authority to challenge, what might it be?  In this thought piece I explore how brands can remain true to the Outlaw archetype without the negative fallout and how his separateness and singularity creates the opportunity for a whole new form of social currency and credibility for young people.