In modern society, the norm for everyone is that we have a limited time of 30-40 financially active years. It is a cycle that sees us grow in our respective careers, flourish in them, and ultimately get to reap the benefits that we sow. Many of us during this time progress to start, or already have started families, more responsibilities, heavier commitment. It is a time to double down on what works.

But what if we told you that life was about more than just the routine, the standard and how well you function within that standard, that it is more than script, rather, it is about flipping the script.

Cars, watches, fashion, kicks, pens. These are primarily functional items. The very existence of these objects first and foremost serves a purpose- to bring and transport you from one location to another, to tell the time, to make you look good, and to write. Human brains work in vague ways, on blurry foundations, associations. At a certain point in history the concept of branding was birthed. That point in history was the 1500s, and branding was derived from Ancient Norse, a Scandinavian language, the word “brandr” means “to burn.”

It is about making one’s mark, be it in the figurative way or literal. Branding is owning or being part of a construct, a community, a persona. Fast forward to today, where this concept has now become a business fundamental, and amplified with omniscient power of social media, psychological studies and manufacturing techniques that could execute on the brand statement.

This is the very concept that allows brands to thrive and evolve over the course of culture. Whatever product you choose to own and use, it is an extension of the communication between you and everyone else. Let’s take for example two sports SUVs- the clout-favorite Mercedes AMG G63 versus the peak Porsche SUV in the Cayenne Turbo Coupe. Just by persona, though both cars hover well past the RM 1M mark, cater to very different markets, different buyers. Seeing a G-wagen pull up versus a Cayenne Turbo Coupe sends your mind spiraling and pulling potential images to match with the owner of the car. This in essence is the power of branding, or association between brand and individual. Another exercise is to imagine the character that egress from a Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo S Cabriolet versus Ferrari F8 Spyder.

The awesome thing about convertibles is that by nature of owning and driving a convertible, it is already the path less taken, a journey less experienced. It conveys an almost rebellious persona. Convertibles in Malaysia are riddled with misunderstandings, myths, and things of the past.