[!absolute-canada.jpg](http://canadiandesignresource.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/absolute-canada.jpg) A perfect example of how global brands are presenting themselves as local and connected, attaching themselves to the symbols and character that make up a place. This trend seems endless, with most major brands transforming themselves around the globe into neighbours rather than the old monolith, one dimensional versions we grew up with. Will global brands be the saviours of local cultures? Will brands become the tools that we use to express ourselves on the world stage? Jury is out but the early indicators are that this shift is working and for one I am glad to get away from the universal brand and instead, get a peek at myself in the products I use. -Todd Falkowsky