Another thing we want to look at in terms of graphic design and political propaganda, especially this year, besides the fonts, is the concept of “symbol systems” and what those have meant in the past, as well as now. We’ll also be linking to some commentators and what they have to say about what they see in the current campaign. We’re also going to look at the concept of “operatives” because that word was used in the Chicago Press relating to people working for Obama when he went up against Alice Palmer.
So, last post we looked at a propaganda poster for the SS. We looked at the font choice which was a strong sans-serif much like Gotham. But what about the symbols? Let’s look at more posters. This time we’ll head over to Russia.
If we scrutinize this from a graphic design standpoint what is going on? Can you spot the symbol systems? First, we’re looking at another example of that harsh, simplistic very graphic style that most propaganda looks like. The “logo” — in this case the hammer and sickle motif of communist Russia is up there on the red flag. Red is often a symbol connected to blood, violence, revolution, action and so forth. The flag represents “uniting” for a cause. The hammer and sickle is a very simple easily recognizable “mark.” Even if we can’t see the whole thing, we know what it is — because in propaganda campaigns this mark will be used over and over again until that symbol is “branded” into people’s brains. What else do you notice about this piece of propaganda? What is happening? What else did the designer want you to notice?
Let’s look at another one –
What is going on in this image? Even if you can’t read the language? Can you see symbols scattered around? Or colors? The numbers refer to time, and there is a red star too. This time we see a flag bearer. It looks like the artist is depicting an old order “bricks” (1945) — into “machines” (1960). We saw the red star before, on the first page of this series on Mao’s hat.
Here is a different view of that first poster –
Okay. There is that red star, lots of red, a crowd and a benevolent looking “leader” type standing in a halo of the rising sun. Same plain graphic style, same “flags” same “red” as the color. What do you think this poster is trying to say to the viewer? Who is the crowd, and what are they doing? Notice, in classic propaganda style, that one liner at the bottom. I can’t read Chinese either, but I don’t have to. Because in a propaganda poster it always is something like the word “Progress” or “We are the chosen ones…” (As long as we obey)…
We had some propaganda posters in the United States once, during the period of World War II.
“Uncle Sam” — you’ve probably seen him around, a time or two…
If we didn’t know what this image was used for in the past, and we couldn’t see that sentence that we can read, what does it look like the poster is wanting? A propaganda poster is always trying to convey a message to the viewer. By the eyes and gestures. Keep that in mind.
The Nazi’s used a lot of propaganda in their day. We don’t have to go back into that terrible page of history, but I’ve made a link to a page where there are more posters to look at, as well as a bit of the ideology behind Hitler’s manifesto.
Because ever since WWII the free world has been on the alert for signs of this ever happening again. And so we are also on the alert for any type of propaganda as well. Especially in political campaigns. And especially here in America.
Goebbels was responsible for orchestrating the propaganda. You could say he was kind of like a campaign manager or public relations manager for Hitler.
Whenever we see a leader who likes to see themselves like this:
It sends up a RED FLAG WARNING to the Western World. At the bottom, we see the classic one liner of a propaganda campaign. I don’t speak German either, but what this translates to is something like “One People, One Empire, One Leader.”
Got that? Keep that in mind too.
Here is another kind of propaganda poster from WWII. Can you tell what the artist is trying to say in this one? Look at what you see. This is a classic kind of “fear building” or censorship-style propaganda ad. Notice the only word. Propaganda always uses the simplest of slogans, usually so that people (the proletariat) can “get it.”
Suppose you saw something like this plastered all over the walls of buildings in your city?
What sort of message do you think a poster like this sends, to a neighborhood, or a group of people? Is there anything scary about this poster to you? When we look at the colors this artist used what do they tell you about the “mood” of the times. How about the font? This poster also has something being used subliminally in it. Can you see it? Maybe not at the first glance, but the second time?
Continuing right along.., (and this is being written for people who might not know this stuff!)
Stay tuned…
Yesterday, we looked at some examples of propaganda posters used by political regimes to gain control of the proletariat masses. Today, we will explore a little about “agitprop” and some more on Fascism. Gee, how come you are writing about this, you ask?
Because I can see it happening before my eyes and the mainstream press isn’t unpacking it.
In this blog, we will. And, personally I’d rather be writing a short story right now, or gardening, or making a painting. Except, I’m an American. Being an American is very important to me, because of what that means, not just here, but around the world, in terms of “freedom.” Although I’m not a political scholar, I’m a thinker. Damn. Feminism allowed me that. It’s because of feminism that I got my Master’s Degree. So if I see some ugly effing sh*t start happening here, in my own country it’s my duty as an American Feminist to speak out. Also, thank you WordPress, and thank you Google, for making the documentation easier.
Alrighty, here we go with more….
We left off yesterday by looking at two political propaganda posters. One was Che, and the other was Mao. I’m looking at the graphics used by the Obama campaign very, very seriously, because of some things I think Axelrod purposely engineered using his concept of “target-marketing,” “astroturfing,” and branding, as well as subliminals.
What Axelrod has done is create a snowball, and now that snowball has gained mass momentum. So much momentum that it is rapidly rolling (read Alinsky model) into a dangerous, dangerous political place. It seems that he wanted to create dissent on purpose with this scheme. Crafty no? Somebody else did this once a long time ago. His name was Goebbels. Like Axelrod, he was VERY good when it came to propaganda. He was also dangerous, just as Axelrod is dangerous right now, to all of the people in America. Because we are watching history repeat itself. Right now.
You can read about Goebbels’ principles of propaganda here, from “Psywarrior.com”
And then, you can read an early article about how Axelrod championed certain advertising techniques here, as well as see his picture circa 1993, in an article by David Sevener called “Political pitchman.”
Still with me? Good. It may seem like a stretch to you, but hang loose because we are exploring the principles of using propaganda in a marketing campaign. In 2008. For the American Presidency, this time around. Now, since Obama, Axelrod and I all come from the same part of the Baby-Boom, within a sprinkling of years from each other — I’m going to assume that we know the same things about how our generation experienced the world. Sort of. I’m going to assume that we all know the same things about historic figures, and World History. And advertising, and (at least in the case of Axelrod and I), newspapers.
So, let’s take a look at what Axelrod had to say about marketing back in 1993. Puppy Chow as “branding?”
“…Actually, David Axelrod is a political consultant, a nineties brand of precinct captain who has helped transform American politics by marketing candidates on a scale Stanley Nason must never have imagined possible. If the precinct captains of the 1960s employed a brand of door-to-door, one-on-one retail politics, Axelrod deals in wholesale politics on a mega-level, selling his candidates to millions of voters the way Ralston-Purina sells Puppy Chow.
Some view this development as the ruin of democracy. “You’re suspect as a political consultant,” Axelrod concedes. “The image is of someone who will do anything to get a candidate elected…”
Now, Goebbels was a master at inciting things — as a propaganda master, too. Let’s see what he did, and contrast that with what we see happening right now as regards the Black community and Jeremiah Wright’s outbursts…(this below from the Wiki) It’s the tactics a “propagandist” uses we are interested in exploring. Here is what he did:
“…He openly acknowledged that he was exploiting the lowest instincts of the German people–racism, xenophobia, class envy and insecurity. He could, he said, play the popular will like a piano, leading the masses wherever he wanted them to go. “He drove his listeners into ecstasy, making them stand up, sing songs, raise their arms, repeat oaths—and he did it, not through the passionate inspiration of the moment, but as the result of sober psychological calculation…”[24]
So, just like back then, were seeing Axelrod whip these same things into action, again, as a result of his tactics. He has stirred up an angry America, until the pot is about ready to boil over. Hasn’t he? I think America is pretty shocked right now, myself. At what is being revealed on a daily basis. We’ve seen this incredible phenomenon occur, that people have been labeling “Obamabots.” And we are also seeing a scapegoat emerge, as well. Aren’t we?
Now, are we going to call this Communism, Totalitarianism, Dictatorship, Fascism or some other name this time around? Messiahism? Are we witnessing the end of Democracy come to pass here? What Axelrod has done is incite the masses. What we are interested in is how this is going to play out…
So, let’s take a look at more propaganda posters of the past, and watch what is being played out as a revolt against that, in America.
We talked a little about Fonts. Fonts are VERY important in advertising because they convey a message. Making the choice of the font for the ad is one of the biggest parts of the design process. The font helps set the tone for the “message.” Look at this poster, below…(to be continued) Using a blocky sans-serif font conveys a particular message in this propaganda piece…where are you seeing this font in contemporary political propaganda?
When I first saw the political posters of Barack Obama I’ll admit, these were the most stunning. From a graphic design standpoint. Just like his logo, these things have been crafted by real artists. Art is a very powerful force. Like Meghan Daum from the Los Angeles Times, I have some questions about the image and the slogans. We’ve seen stuff like this before, but not here in America for a politician. Not until now.
The problem with this type of art and mass postering? When you call the posters “pasters” as Shepard Fairey has? Then we cross over a line into a place where art is doing something else, just like it has in the past in other countries.
Daum says:
“…The Obama poster has spread Fairey’s fame, but is the image good for the candidate? Like the photograph-turned-icon of Che Guevara — which graces the T-shirts of countless hipsters who barely know who the guy is — Fairey’s Obama poster is rooted in the graphic style of agitprop. There’s an unequivocal sense of idol worship about the image, a half-artsy, half-creepy genuflection that suggests the subject is (a) a Third World dictator whose rule is enmeshed in a seductive cult of personality; (b) a controversial American figure who’s been assassinated; or (c) one of those people from a Warhol silk-screen that you don’t recognize but assume to be important in an abstruse way…”
It’s curious that Fairey is also designing a cover for Orwell’s “1984″ — I liked what he did with that, but these “pastors” for Obama? No. Why? Because just like in the Orwell book, the “proletariat” (the uneducated masses) are not going to recognize PROPAGANDA when they see it. It works for Communists, Dictators and Fascists, but not American Presidents.
Obama is very stupid if he thinks he can pull off a PROPAGANDA campaign here in the United States at this moment in time. Is he trying to represent himself as a FASCIST leader? That Axelrod is not smart enough to see what will be done when the press in America explores this?
Which Dictator is Obama aligning himself with?
Here is some communist propaganda to start. Propaganda posters are known for their strong harsh use of contrast and color. Using a design like this harks back to the 30’s — it’s retro that way and also appeals to the current craze for all things Bauhaus, Neutra and 1960. These things look fresh to 30 year olds right now, as do things designed in the 70’s.
Warhol was known for his avant garde silkscreens of “famous people” and modernesque look at labels and target-marketing of package design.
Is Fairey channeling Warhol? Or not? It’s street art, mural art and media splash all at once. It’s the Fauve-esque color that gives this stuff its punch.
Here is some Warhol…on Monroe…
And Warhol on Soup…(courtesy of MOMA)
(for those unfamiliar with this type of imagery in art)
Here is art (as Daum has reported above) used for a different purpose..
As political propaganda…recognize the style?
(to be continued…) One thing about Propaganda posters? They always have a slogan at the bottom, just like this…and just like Obama’s.
