In Season 1 of This Is Propaganda, co-hosts Josh & Malcolm from the creative agency BRINK will deconstruct the collective delusion about what we do as marketers so that we, as an industry, can be more thoughtful about how we do it. We’ll explore propaganda's historical significance, omnipresence across generations of media, and profound influence on our culture. Learn more at thisispropaganda.show.

Following the Great War, Edward Bernays and his contemporaries used the power of propaganda to forever change marketing, and all of Western culture. BRINK is a creative collective dedicated to helping activist brands change minds. Learn more about Josh, Malcolm, and the podcast at thisispropaganda.show.   Website: thisispropaganda.show Email: propaganda@brink.com Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow YouTube: youtube.com/@thisispropagandashow Slack: bit.ly/propaganda-slack Reddit: reddit.com/r/thisispropaganda   Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher Producers: Jaclyn Hubersberger and Reed Chandler Story Editor: Matt Decker Additional Audio Engineering: Paul Injeti Original music: Josh Belhumeur   Ambar, Saladin.  “Woodrow Wilson: Foreign Affairs.” Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/wilson/foreign-affairs Barnes, Bart. “PUBLIC RELATIONS PIONEER EDWARD L. BERNAYS DIES.” Washington Post, March 10, 1995. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1995/03/10/public-relations-pioneer-edward-l-bernays-dies/985793a8-4bb2-4a98-b54f-7efdf892f5f6/ Beens, Robert E. 2021. “Companies are selling, manipulating, or stealing data. It’s time to do something about it.” Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90597583/data-privacy-startpage-founder Bernays, Edward L. 2004. Propaganda. Ig Publishing. “The Brutal Realities of World War I.” 2020. Facing History & Ourselves. https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/brutal-realities-world-war-i Buffalo News. “EDWARD L. BERNAYS, 103, DIES; WAS PIONEER IN PUBLIC RELATIONS.” March 10, 1995. https://buffalonews.com/news/edward-l-bernays-103-dies-was-pioneer-in-public-relations/article_53e7d43b-e323-5c8b-a682-32925d29d061.html Curtis, Adam. 2020. “The Century of the Self - BBC Documentary (2002).” YouTube: Gnosis Documentaries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jymMjNc0igI Daly, Christopher B. 2017. “How Woodrow Wilson's propaganda machine changed American journalism.” The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/how-woodrow-wilsons-propaganda-machine-changed-american-journalism-76270 “EAA: Timeline.”  Duke University Libraries. https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/eaa/timeline.html “Edward Bernays – the Father of 'Spin'” 2017. Global Policy Institute. https://gpilondon.com/publications/edward-bernays-the-father-of-spin Fedewa, Joe. 2023. “Here's Why You'll Never See Movie Villains Use iPhones.” How-To Geek. https://www.howtogeek.com/832279/heres-why-youll-never-see-movie-villains-use-iphones/ Greenberg, Udi. 2022. “Freud and the Miseries of Politics.” The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/165265/freud-miseries-politics-samuel-moyn-civilizations-discontents-review Gregersen, Erik. 2023. “Edward Bernays | Propaganda, Public Relations & Advertising.” Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Bernays Hatcher, Dan. 2015. “The Father of Spin: Edward L. Bernays and the Birth of Public Relations” by Larry Tye.” The Siding Spring. https://thesidingspring.com/2015/09/04/the-father-of-spin-edward-l-bernays-and-the-birth-of-public-relations-by-larry-tye/ Held, Lisa. 2009. “Psychoanalysis shapes consumer culture.” American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/12/consumer “History of advertising.”  Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_advertising. The Independent. 1995. “OBITUARY: Edward Bernays” March 22, 1995. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-edward-bernays-1612237.html Lubin, Gus. 2013. “Birth of Consumer Culture.” Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/birth-of-consumer-culture-2013-2 “Milestones: 1914–1920 - The League of Nations, 1920.” Office of the Historian. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/league The New York Times. “Edward Bernays, 'Father of Public Relations' And Leader in Opinion Making, Dies at 103.” March 10, 1995. https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/10/obituaries/edward-bernays-father-public-relations-leader-opinion-making-dies-103.html NPR. 1995. “Edward Bernays.” March 11, 1995. https://www.npr.org/1995/03/11/1005340/edward-bernays O'Toole, Patricia. 2018. How the US Government Used Propaganda to Sell Americans on World War I | HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/world-war-1-propaganda-woodrow-wilson-fake-news “Purity, Pornography, and Eugenics in the 1930s (Parts I & II).” 2022. Textbook History. https://textbookhistory.org/purity-pornography-and-eugenics-in-the-1930s/ Reeve, Michael. 2018. “Smoking and Cigarette Consumption | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1).” 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War. https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/smoking_and_cigarette_consumption Smith, Erika C. 2018. “Organization of War Economies (USA).” 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War. https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/organization_of_war_economies_usa Statement by the President in Address to the Nation. 2001. George W. Bush White House. Tye, Larry.  “The Father of Spin.” The New York Times. https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/t/tye-spin.html “Women and smoking.”  Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_and_smoking#cite_note-15 “World War I casualties.”  U.S. Census Bureau.https://www.census.gov/history/pdf/reperes112018.pdf

Previous propaganda techniques struggled to work with the boomer generation in a period of social unrest – until Madison Avenue had a breakthrough. If you’ve enjoyed this podcast so far, be sure to leave us a review. If you hated it, share it with your enemies, they sound like smart people.   Website: thisispropaganda.show Email: propaganda@brink.com Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow YouTube: youtube.com/@thisispropagandashow Slack: bit.ly/propaganda-slack Reddit: reddit.com/r/thisispropaganda   Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher Producers: Jaclyn Hubersberger and Reed Chandler Story Editor: Matt Decker Additional Audio Engineering: Paul Injeti Original music: Josh Belhumeur   Beens, Robert E. 2021. “We must stop the sale, manipulation, or theft of our data.” Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90597583/data-privacy-startpage-founder Bernays, Edward L. 2004. Propaganda. Ig Publishing. Curtis, Adam. 2020. “The Century of the Self - BBC Documentary (2002).” YouTube: Gnosis Documentaries https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jymMjNc0igI “First Measured Century: Interview: Daniel Yankelovich.” PBS. https://www.pbs.org/fmc/interviews/yankelovich.htm Greenberg, Udi. “Freud and the Miseries of Politics.” The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/165265/freud-miseries-politics-samuel-moyn-civilizations-discontents-review Hampton, Fred, and Black Panther Party. “I Am A Revolutionary” speech. “Human Potential Movement.”  Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Potential_Movement “Mechanisms of Social Movement Suppression – Defend Dissent.” Oregon State University. https://open.oregonstate.education/defenddissent/chapter/social-movement-suppression/ Munteanu, Cătălin C., and Andreea Pagalea. 2014. “Brands as a Mean of Consumer Self-expression and Desired Personal Lifestyle.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 109 (January): pgs. 103-107. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042813050593 “1980s: Commerce.”  Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/culture-magazines/1980s-commerce Rafferty, John P. “America's Boomer Generation.” Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/americas-boomer-generation “7 Lessons From the Golden Age of Advertising That Still Apply.” MoreBusiness.com. https://www.morebusiness.com/lessons-from-the-golden-age-of-advertising/ “Statistical Abstract of the United States 1982-83.”  U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/history/pdf/1978tvsets.pdf

Propaganda helps usher in a new form of tribalism and the modern culture war. Connect, get merch, and go deeper down the rabbit hole at thisispropaganda.show.   Website: thisispropaganda.show Email: propaganda@brink.com Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow YouTube: youtube.com/@thisispropagandashow Slack: bit.ly/propaganda-slack Reddit: reddit.com/r/thisispropaganda   Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher Producers: Jaclyn Hubersberger and Reed Chandler Story Editor: Matt Decker Additional Audio Engineering: Paul Injeti Original music: Josh Belhumeur   Bernays, Edward L. 2004. Propaganda. Ig Publishing. “#BrandsGetReal: Brands Creating Change in the Conscious Consumer Era.” 2019. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/brands-creating-change/ Brooks, Khristopher J. 2023. “Ron DeSantis threatens Anheuser-Busch over Bud Light marketing campaign with Dylan Mulvaney.” CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-ron-desantis-bud-light-dylan-mulvaney-anheuser-busch/ “Corporate Social Responsibility: A Brief History.” Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals. https://accp.org/resources/csr-resources/accp-insights-blog/corporate-social-responsibility-brief-history/ Disney Parks. 2022. “Write The Next Chapter Of Your Life With Disney | Storyliving by Disney.” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsvA8ZkdL4Q Dockterman, Eliana. 2016. “Budweiser Just Renamed Its Beer 'America.'” Time. https://time.com/4324384/budweiser-america-rename-beer/ “The Dove Self-Esteem Project.” Dove. https://www.dove.com/us/en/dove-self-esteem-project.html Ellul, Jacques. 1965. Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes. Vintage Books. https://ratical.org/ratville/AoS/Propaganda-JE-Vintage1973.pdf Etcoff, Nancy, Susie Orbach, Jennifer Scott, and Heidi D'Agostino. 2004. “THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT BEAUTY: A GLOBAL REPORT”  Findings of the Global Study on Women, Beauty, and Well-Being.” Club of Amsterdam. https://www.clubofamsterdam.com/contentarticles/52%20Beauty/dove_white_paper_final.pdf Farhi, Paul. 1991. “THE ORIGINAL SPIN DOCTOR.” The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/11/23/the-original-spin-doctor/109f782a-5964-4d99-94f7-b4b666bc1f74/ “15 years of Axe Effect: the world's most sexist advertising campaign.” 2011. This is not ADVERTISING. https://thisisnotadvertising.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/15-years-of-axe-effect-the-worlds-most-sexist-advertising-campaign/ Giardina, Henry. 2023. “Bud Light Has Always Been Super Queer, Actually.” INTO more. https://www.intomore.com/culture/bud-light-has-always-been-super-queer-actually/ Klee, Miles. 2023. “‘Woke’ Companies Don’t Go Broke, and the Profits Prove It.” Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/woke-companies-broke-profits-1234710724/ Luttrell, Andy. 2016. “Cognitive Dissonance Theory: A Crash Course.” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y17YaZRRvY “Making a Difference in Racial Equity.” 2020. Walmart.https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2020/06/05/making-a-difference-in-racial-equity Morel, Lindsey. 2009. “The Effectiveness of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty in Terms of Society and the Brand.” SURFACE at Syracuse University. https://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1479&context=honors_capstone Olson, Alexandra, Kate Brumback, and Matt Ott. 2020. “'A slap in the face:' Goya faces boycott over Trump praise.” AP News. https://apnews.com/article/02dc77e29f848bebbc4e1434df056864 Perjurer, Kevin. 2022. “Disney Channel's Theme: A History Mystery.” YouTube: Defunctland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_rjBWmc1iQ “21st Century Ad Campaigns: See all Top 15 Winners and eBook.” 2015. Ad Age. https://adage.com/article/news/advertising-age-s-21st-century-ads-top-15-ad-campaigns/296525 Wamsley, Laurel. 2023. “In a new video, Dylan Mulvaney says Bud Light never reached out to her amid backlash.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/30/1185356673/trans-influencer-dylan-mulvaney-bud-light-backlash Youn, Soo. 2018. “Nike sales booming after Colin Kaepernick ad, invalidating critics.” ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Business/nike-sales-booming-kaepernick-ad-invalidating-critics/story?id=59957137

Our discomfort with propaganda puts us on a quest for authenticity, but do we even know what that means anymore? Wanna be a guest on our podcast? Hit up Josh and Malcolm at propaganda@brink.com Website: thisispropaganda.show Email: propaganda@brink.com Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow YouTube: youtube.com/@thisispropagandashow Slack: bit.ly/propaganda-slack Reddit: reddit.com/r/thisispropaganda   Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher Producers: Jaclyn Hubersberger and Reed Chandler Story Editor: Matt Decker Additional Audio Engineering: Paul Injeti Original music: Josh Belhumeur   Dember, Greg. 2018. “Eleven Metamodern Methods in the Arts.” Medium. https://medium.com/what-is-metamodern/after-postmodernism-eleven-metamodern-methods-in-the-arts-767f7b646cae Dreith, Ben. 2023. “Siegel+Gale creates "authentic" branding for US Army.” Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2023/04/06/us-army-branding-siegelgale/ Flight, Thomas. 2023. “Why Do Movies Feel So Different Now?” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xEi8qg266g McPherson, Steve. 2013. “Image Is Nothing: Grant Hill and His Amazing '90s Sprite Ads.” Grantland. https://grantland.com/the-triangle/image-is-nothing-grant-hill-and-his-amazing-90s-sprite-ads/ “OK Soda: The strange, nihilistic Nineties soda that only lasted seven months.” 2022. MeTV. https://www.metv.com/stories/ok-soda-the-strange-nihilistic-nineties-soda-that-only-lasted-seven-months Resnick, Brian. 2017. “Trump supporters know Trump lies. They just don't care.” Vox. https://www.vox.com/2017/7/10/15928438/fact-checks-political-psychology Salvanto, Anthony, Kabir Khanna, Jennifer De Pinto, and Fred Backus. 2023. “CBS News poll finds Trump's big lead grows, as GOP voters dismiss indictments.” CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-poll-indictments-2023-08-20/ Schulman, Michael. 2014. “Everything is Going to Be OK.” Believer Magazine. https://www.thebeliever.net/everything-is-going-to-be-ok/ Sorgatz, Rex. 2022. “25 Highest-Rated Shows of the '90s.” TV Insider. https://www.tvinsider.com/list/highest-rated-shows-of-the-90s/#show2 “Stress in America 2022: Concerned for the future, beset by inflation.” 2022. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2022/concerned-future-inflation Wallace, David F. 2000. “David Foster Wallace on John McCain: ‘The Weasel, Twelve Monkeys, and the Shrub.’” Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/david-foster-wallace-on-john-mccain-the-weasel-twelve-monkeys-and-the-shrub-194272/

Social media creates an environment where propaganda becomes our default mode of expression because everyone is a brand. BRINK is a creative agency dedicated to reshaping the advertising industry through expanding awareness of our impact on the collective conscience and adopting a more humanist approach. Learn more about our work at brink.com   Website: thisispropaganda.show Email: propaganda@brink.com Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow YouTube: youtube.com/@thisispropagandashow Slack: bit.ly/propaganda-slack Reddit: reddit.com/r/thisispropaganda   Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher Producers: Jaclyn Hubersberger and Reed Chandler Story Editor: Matt Decker Additional Audio Engineering: Paul Injeti Original music: Josh Belhumeur   “Big Red Boot.” MSCHF. https://mschf.com/shop/big-red-boot/ “Black Panther (soundtrack).” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_(soundtrack) Bradley, Bill. 2022. “US Advertising Sales Projected to Pass $300 Billion for First Time Ever in 2022.” Adweek. https://www.adweek.com/convergent-tv/us-advertising-sales-projected-to-pass-300-billion-for-first-time-ever-in-2022/ Ferere, Cassell. 2021. “Brand Blasphemy? What Nike’s Move To Sue MSCHF For Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoes’ Tells Us About Pop Culture.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/cassellferere/2021/03/30/nikes-move-to-sue-mschf-for-its-lil-nas-x-satan-shoes-tells-us-about-pop-culture/?sh=58f905dc55fc Huddleston Jr., Tom, and Zachary Green. 2022. “Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario: We chose 'the dumbest possible name' for water.” CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/26/liquid-death-ceo-mike-cessario-we-chose-the-dumbest-possible-name-for-water.html Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Television. 1997. “Colgate Comedy Hour, The.” Television Academy Interviews. https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/colgate-comedy-hour-the Silbert, Jake. 2021. “MSCHF's At All Costs Clothing Line Plays With Prices.” Highsnobiety. https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/mschf-at-all-costs-clothing-line/ Silbert, Jake. 2021. “MSCHF's Guns 2 Swords took The Met Gala, Thanks to Grimes.” Highsnobiety. https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/mschf-guns-2-swords/ Suess, Jeff. 2017. “Our history: P&G put the 'soap' in 'soap opera.'” Cincinnati Enquirer. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/10/04/our-history-p-g-put-soap-soap-opera/732149001/ Whitten, Sarah. 2023. “Barbie is highest-grossing domestic film release in 2023.” CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/24/barbie-is-highest-grossing-domestic-film-release-in-2023.html “Your Hit Parade.”  Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Hit_Parade