Branding matters. To countries just as much as they do to companies. Just ask former UK prime minister Tony Blair, whose mission in 1999, together with the Foreign Policy Centre, was to sell new model Britain to other countries. “The central message is that Britain’s reality has changed dramatically and that its image must be transformed to reflect this.” The “Cool Britannia” campaign was sniggered at by a nation of cynics, but many Americans today believe a powerful cleanser is needed to remove a very deep stain from the tarnished US image. So Paper magazine has summoned the leading lights in advertising and graphic arts to the task of “Rebranding America.” The results of which are available on its online magazine.
It may be merely a punning exercise, but perhaps the idea—that multiculturalism and diversity are not just an irreversible fact but a potentially invaluable asset—may catch fire.