Recently I came across an incredible interview with Paula Scher from Pentagram. Paula Scher thinks that the “image issues” that the U.S. is facing can be solved with a little bit of re-branding! To paraphrase the Daily Show on this subject, “these are not our detention centers, these are our happy clown camps.” Branding people are fascinating in that they often seem to think that the brand can be entirely disconnected from the actual product. Although the audience for this campaign is not specifically mentioned, I wonder if it includes civilians in the combat zones.

Thinking of this interview and some recent New York Times and WSJ editorials, I came to the realization that news is run like branding campaigns. Essentially, it is a collection of slogans repeated ad nauseum with little or no supporting evidence. As few ever have time or interest to investigate beyond the slogans, this remains terrifyingly effective.

Paula Scher on Brand America