Beast: The Brand

Chances are, if you paid any attention, any attention at all, to anything, anything at all, regarding Super Bowl XLVIII, you have seen this face. And maybe those colorful little candies somewhere near his mouth. This is Beast Mode. This is Marshawn Lynch. A Compton, CA comin-outta-nothin success story whose personality wholly constitutes his brand. Here is a quick primer:

1. Beacon Plumbing
2. Skittles
3. 'Bout That Action
4. Just Marshawn
5. MVP

Now that we are all comfortably educated on the world and mind of Beast Mode™ (yes, he trademarked it), let us discuss what makes this brand so, so unique. First of all, it is mostly, if not wholly, unintentional and most associations result from the fun fans have with him across news sites and social media. Take, for example, Marshawn's love of Skittles. The lore began when America witnessed this unorthodox sideline behavior shown on the right. According to Lynch's mother, she used to bring a bag of the candy in her purse to his Pop Warner games. She would refer to them as Marshawn's "power pellets" and tell the young man that they would make him play harder, faster, stronger. Truthfully, all credit to those health professionals and scientists who chimed in, the little dose of sugar can provide a boost of energy! Now fans throw Skittles on the field after touchdowns AND Lynch has a deal with the candy maker for a 'Seattle Mix'. Surely after winning Super Bowl MVP, his deal will only get sweeter.


As far as the origin of Beast Mode, no one really knows its first instance of use. It is a myth, a legend seemingly anchored in the mysterious, frontier-ish nature of the Pacific Northwest, where the Bigfoot or the Skunk Ape 'may' still roam. However, no cryptozoological biped can evoke the aura that this type of Beast (Mode) exudes. Nonetheless, Beast Mode is a business. There are shirts, hats, sweatshirts; watch the dancing video again and check out his gear (as if you needed a reason to re-watch it). CenturyLink Stadium, home of the Seahawks, even sells a Beast Mode burger that comes with a side of ________. There is no way that you cannot fill in that blank; it has only 8 letters.


The larger-than-life, superhero-athlete, LeBron James status, persona surrounding the slightest mention of Marshawn Lynch constitutes the most complex and fun brand that the world has seen since the days of Michael Jordan or Bo Jackson (even more-so than King James). Like the name 'Jordan', 'Marshawn' can only mean one significant individual. Just ask Google. Beast Mode is a cultural masterpiece. It is an adjective, a hashtag, a colloquial phrase for mind-bending performance that occasionally floods social media. I am certainly guilty of appropriating the term for non-athletic events (and I promise to continue to do so). His words are music (ie. 'Bout That Action), that may (do) not sound beautiful, but are avant garde in nature and thus glorified in hopeful permanence within Tweets and videos scattered across the vastness of the world wide web So, let us all embrace Marshawn Lynch, for him. I have hopped on that bandwagon and you should as well, but hurry and hop on because it moves fast and hits every other wagon in the way.


Also, I want to end this post in the best way possible. Here we go again! Have a glorious day! #BEASTMODE