What kinds of political or ideological messages inform design or the branding of design today? Identify one example and describe in what ways it expresses larger cultural, political, or ideological beliefs
After America and Russia acknowledged the use of bombs would result in no honest victor, a cold war broke out with the countries' ideology and social structures becoming their 'front lines'. America began to sell the consumerism ideals to the world, through displaying the American way of life, exalting the freedom to spend money on whatever you choose.
America's Cold war propaganda terrified its public into believing that socialism was an evil, as a means to push the consumerism ideals further, as depicted well in the government's mass media. Though it is not called 'propaganda' today, the development of design for political gain is just as manipulative and influential as ever.
Talking about manipulation, the politician and former
vice-president Al Gore formed a 'Global-Warming' alarmist cult, and persuaded the
world that the earth’s CO2 emissions were causing the earth’s temperature to
rise. This video demonstrates the emotional debate that tugs at the heart strings and causes a result - change.
Al Gore’s green alarm bells influenced design hugely, especially in the area of automobiles. The 2011 Nissan Leaf is one of the most eco-friendly cars that you can own this year. Not only is it extremely fuel efficient but “recycled materials made from home appliances, old car parts and plastic bottles are used extensively throughout the vehicle” (KBB.com, 2011). Like America re-branding itself after the war, so too did the world after the CO2 'scare', causing every company to create 'greener' items and the public to buy these items off the shelf.
But why is it that you
can straight away recognise a ‘green’ car? I think that designers are doing
this so that subconsciously you automatically no or not if that driver is
supporting the campaign for the ideology that is being ‘green’ and you then
assess yourself and what you drive. No more is it about ‘saving the planet’, it
has morphed into a status symbol for the upper-middle class.
