Andy Warhol on Nation-Branding

There is a painting by Andy Warhol of Marilyn Monroe called "Marilyn Diptych" made in 1962. On the left hand side are 25 pictures of Monroe, all stylized with the bright colors all associate with Warhol. Monroe has bright blonde hair, red lips and is surrounded by a glowing orange background. On the right hand side is the same picture of Monroe duplicated 25 times, but in black and white. The pictures are not sprinkled with juicy pops of color, instead there are smudges of black and at the far right side Marilyn begins to disappear...

If you are not familiar with Andy Warhol, aka you have not experimented with Photo Booth on your Mac or have not viewed all six hours of his film of a friend sleeping, here is a brief overview... Warhol was part of an art movement called Pop Art. Warhol (and members of the movement) were obsessed with the idealization of movie stars, consumption and branding. Warhol, despite his stated neutrality (art historians never believe what artists say anyway), painted works reflecting the branding of the time and its effect on the public. The "Marilyn Diptych" may be the best revelation of Warhol's ideas. Warhol shows Marilyn's branding on the one side, this idealized, sensuous movie star and then the reality on the right side, her true persona fading away into her "brand." Warhol's painting also depicts another idea, fame is fleeting and a "brand" will only be bought for so long before the public's interest is occupied elsewhere and interest fades away.

This week as we discussed nation-branding in class, I could not help but think of the white-haired, eccentric artist from Pittsburgh and his ideas on branding and how they relate to nation-branding. As we discussed the nation-branding of Turkey in class in conjunction with its efforts to join the EU--a country with significant ties to the EU and EU member states, but with its own unique culture and history, etc., I wondered how long a brand should be used before another one is needed. That is, do people lose interest in nation-brands like they do commercial brands? After so many years of hearing of the special ties Europe has with Turkey, as well as their special culture are EU member states and citizens really interested or is the repetition of the brand now just white noise, or a blur of an image, rather than a pop of color that lasts in the mind. Moreover after a brand or image has been agreed upon, when does the bureaucracy move its slow and heavy machinery to realize that change is needed and that the image of a nation is actually changing. Perhaps it depends on how one looks at nation-branding.

Paul Rockower seems to have also been dreaming of nation-branding (though probably without the multi-colored Pop Art images of nations that populated my dreams) as he posted an article by Amit Shahi on India's efforts in nation-branding. Shahi states in the first sentence the need for a dynamic focus on nation-branding, "The most successful nation-branding campaigns are not built on colorful logos or fancy slogans, but on effective showcasing of societal changes and successful projection of the emergent reality" (Shahi "Engaging with the World"). Shahi goes on to describe the different nation-branding efforts in India and how it seeks to promote India's emergent presence in the world arena. Shahi specifically notes two panels hosted by "INDIA Future of Change" that engaged leaders in the business community, government officials, policy makers in discussing India's role in the global marketplace, as well as how innovation and new design in India can add to different facets of the Indian "brand." Thus, Shahi's article correctly acknowledges the need for dynamism in nation-branding and engagement of the nation-brand at all levels.

Andy Warhol may not have made PD theory come to light with his film "Eat," (documenting a friend eating a mushroom), but his ideas on branding do have resonance with concepts of nation-branding.

http://levantine18.blogspot.com/2011/04/brand-india.html (Side note: This article was posted on April 2, the day after Mr. Rockower left the PD-blogging world a nefarious April Fool's joke that stated he would be ending his blog. Yours truly, did not quite grasp that it was a joke until April 3...those three days were dark, indeed.)

http://www.brandchannel.com/brand_speak.asp?bs_id=275

http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=15976&tabview=image "Marilyn Diptych"