Anna Suvorova

A cult brand is a product or service that has an energetic and loyal customer base. A cult brand, unlike others, has customers who can be described as near-fanatical, true believers in the brand and may feel a sense of ownership or vested interest in the brand’s popularity and success. Cult brands have achieved a unique connection with customers, and are able to create a consumer culture that people want to be a part of. The article presents the most popular cult brands that reflect images of Pakistani challenging frequently inaccurate representations of this culture in today’s media and political discourse. For example, the images of legendary creatures from the Qur’an illustrated within ?oral designs on the surfaces of different vehicles: trucks, rickshaws and taxis. The function of such illustrations, in combination with ornamental designs, is not only decorative, but also apotropaic — to ward off evil. The nationalist ideals via product branding and packaging are explored in the show case of a soft-drink ?rst  roduced during the 1950s, a period de?ned by patriotic rigor. The brand’s name Pakola, its electric green hue and original logo design (which included a star and crescent reminiscent of the Pakistani ?ag) initially re?ected nationalist concerns shortly after the formation of the Pakistani state. By the 1980s, with increased state militarisation and internal con?icts, this beverage’s visual attributes came to represent an ideal of home for a growing (and nostalgic) Pakistani diaspora