The Power of Icons in Ideology.
Bill Whiddle, who is as solid and bright as any communications strategist I have ever seen, in the video below gives us a great refresher in advertising techniques, branding, political messaging, and what he calls "iconography". The best modern text on this very subject comes from author David Kupellian in his book The Marketing of Evil. Let me give you an example of what is meant by iconography. The Nazi Brand:
We all know what the Nazi Swastika is. Today it represents the kind of leviathan state evil that resulted in the murder of millions. It is important to keep in mind that the perception of the Swastika icon or brand was not always so negative. In the 1930's Hitler was the darling of a large portion of American leftist academia, the media and many leftist political groups. For several years until Hitler took the rest of the Czechoslovakia after being handed the Czech Sudetenlands his brand was largely respected by large groups of people. For years Hitler and Mussolini were treated as brilliant visionaries who had discovered a "third way" as it were. A brand can have its meaning changed, but the iconography stays virtually forever. Just like... The GM Brand: Here is another icon whose brand has changed and is in the process of changing at this moment.
The brand the GM symbol represents also used to be highly respected and in many ways revered. A true American icon. In short the GM brand used to mean this:
Now the GM brand is in the process of becoming a joke. Government Motors it is called. They make cars that are too expensive, do not hold up well, and that people do not want to drive. Ironically those are the qualities of the current status of government today. Like all iconography, as we will see more of in the video below, the icon can be used against the brand.
The Obama Brand: One will find that much of the same manipulation of iconography is used by the Obama brand and against it. [Note: Disclaimer for leftists and idiots - We are NOT saying that Obama is the same thing as Hitler and neither is Bill Whiddle in the video below, so don't even go there. This is about the iconography ONLY!] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdtqtfXdR-c]