Because of the illicit nature of their distribution, the visual design and branding of ecstasy pills play an important role in their marketability. Information available to the consumers, such as news stories reporting on deadly batches or online test reports of pills with a high or low purity, will cause manufacturers to copy or drop a design to gain a favourable imago. This fluidity of brand perception creates a unique ecosystem where manufacturers - while trying to distinguish their product-, associate themselves with appropriated elements of popular visual culture.