Do You Hate Name Tags, Too?


This cartoon came from attending one of those business events where I had to wear a name tag.

I hate name tags.

Well, I should say I hate wearing a name tag. I find them very useful when I’m speaking to someone because I’m horrible with names, but I always feel self-conscious with that big red “Hi, I’m Mark” branded on my chest.

So, instead of hobnobbing and mingling, I set my mind to work on other ways people are identified with tags or signs, and this cartoon popped out. I suppose a therapist might suggest that I was feeling trapped in my job, but mostly I just felt goofy, and was able to turn it to my advantage.

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Mark Anderson, professional cartoonist

About the Author: Mark Anderson’s cartoons appear in publications including The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. Anderson is the creator of the popular cartoon website, Andertoons.com, where he licenses his cartoons for presentations, newsletters and other projects. He blogs at Andertoons cartoon blog.

21 Comments ▼

Mark Anderson Mark Anderson's cartoons appear in publications including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. His business cartoons are available for licensing at his website, Andertoons.com.

21 Reactions
  1. I don’t like paper nametags, but my small business makes digitally imprinted and engraved name bagdges, and are more more esthetically pleasing.

  2. 🙂 This one is really funny. Yes, sometimes it does feel like we’re inmates with our boss as the warden. Handcuffed and held against our will til Friday afternoon.

  3. Haha, I love the look on the characters face….so defeated.

  4. I have to agree, the look on his face is priceless. Hate name tags myself, too. Very funny!

  5. I hate them too. I thought I was the only one!

    When someone I don’t know walks up to me and says “hi Carla!” I try hard to remember where I know this person from. Of course, I forgot I’m wearing my name. Going out is worse because now every Tom, Dick and Harry on the street, in a café or restaurant knows my first name. “How many shots, Carla?”

    In an event, I sometimes wonder why that guy is looking at my chest, and then I quickly remember the name tag that’s stuck to my top.

    Great cartoon! I love the look on his face.

  6. It could be good to wear a name tag in order to remember the names. I have a problem to remember names, but I am working on it! 😉 I will put the URL of my website in the future. My name is included! 🙂 http://Martin.Lindeskog.name

  7. Can you make me a sign that says “Hi, I’m 5’7”?

  8. Name tags are the great equalizer. It’s always amusing when someone thinks they’re so well known that they don’t wear theirs, or when they decide just because they don’t like wearing one, they’re not going to. I’m talking about big meetings or conventions when people are there in large part to network. Not wearing your name tag in cases like that is simply rude I think. Name tags definitely help when you’re meeting a lot of people in a short time frame. I think wearing your name tag where people can see it easily and read it well just makes things easier, puts them at ease. My biggest beef is with name tags that are poorly designed functionally (as in the one I encountered recently that was on a clip and the card swivelled around easily so everyone walked around with their names upside down!) and when the print is too small to be read from a reasonable distance.

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  10. I don’t hate name tags as long as they are pleasantly made. What’s important is when meeting a lot of different people, they will remember me and my name. I can’t just assume that everybody know me even if you could say to yourself your expert on this and on that.

  11. Mary Grace Ignacio

    I too don’t have problems with name tags but how effortless and unpleasant the name tag is made — that pisses me off. Thinking they should have spend a little significant time to make their name tags more pleasant and interesting to wear. But I have nothing against the purpose of name tags. In fact. I find it really helpful.

  12. One tip – you have it on the wrong side. The name tag should be on your right side, so when you extend your hand to shake someone’s hand, their eye follows up your arm to your name tag. Try it.

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  14. Humorous cartoon, that is definitely not a name tag that I would like to be wearing. I usually hate name tags as well, but I went to a conference and they had solid leather embroidered name tags that were pretty neat.

  15. your blog is very good, keep up the good work.

  16. I am really loving the theme

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  18. Antonetta Tezeno

    You start using smiley’s in your snail mail.

  19. To me, wearing name tag is not a bad idea at all, because I have problem in remembering names. Really helpful sometimes.

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  21. I loathe name tags! This made me crack up…