The First Brands

HISTORY OF THE TARTAN PLAID

Tartans today represent families, towns, districts, and more. Wearing a particular tartan means you identify yourself with that clan’s values and legacy. We think a brand is like a tartan — a complex, interwoven blend of the attributes and qualities that make your company unique. The careful nature with which the Scots crafted their tartans should serve as an example for how companies today structure and position their brand identities. While the Scots aren’t credited for inventing modern-day branding, we’d like to think they still contributed in their own way.

Historically, the Scottish Tartan was used to distinguish the different clans of Scotland. Contrary to popular belief, tartan refers to a unique plaid pattern woven in cloth, not kilts themselves. Kilts are made using tartan patterns. Now that we cleared that up, we’ll move on to some history.

The Dress Act of 1746 attempted to bring Scottish clans under English government control by banning the tartan and other aspects of Gaelic culture, but many Scots (including the particularly unruly Highland Scots) wore them anyway as a show of defiance. This pattern of English oppression/Scottish rebellion is evident throughout history. In fact, even discussing it gets us a little riled up.

But we digress. The naming and registration of official clan tartans didn’t take place until 1815, when the Highland Society of London resolved that all clan chiefs, “be respectfully solicited to furnish the Society with as Much of the Tartan of his Lordship’s Clan as will serve to Show the Pattern and to Authenticate the Same by Attaching Thereunto a Card bearing the Impression of his Lordship’s Arms.” How’s that for a head-scratcher? Leave it to the English to overcomplicate the simplest of tasks.

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