--Brands--

Brands have managed to creep into every crevice of our world without anyone having a say in it. From the clothes we wear to the food we eat. To me, brands are a way of differentiating between those companies that want to have a successful business to those that want to be even more than an iconic figure. For example, Heinz ketchup has dominated the world of condiments and their success has grown so large that they don't even have to try to sell their product like other companies, just remind you to buy it again...

No other ketchup tastes like Heinz because there is no other competition. Furthermore brands make us choose the type of product we buy based on their "quality" when in reality there aren't that many differences.
As Reshma Mohammed pointed out, Ray-Ban sunglasses cost much more than other sunglasses even though they offer the same thing.