With the help of various PR and advertising gurus [3] the Bush administration has waged an expensive Brand America campaign to change global perception of the world's only superpower. Many critics have pointed out that "America's image is not a product that can be pushed
with hype and ads [4]," predicting that such an effort "will end up a box-office flop." Adbusters, the Canadian "culture jamming" magazine, has also critiqued the branding of America [5]. With a US and British attack on Iraq looming, Adbusters has launched a global boycott of Brand America, and already thousands are pledging their participation. Why? "The world struggles to fight global warming, and its biggest polluter thumbs
its nose. The world calls for an international criminal court, and 'the
global supercop' rejects it out of hand. ... It's the new global arrogance. ... And like it or not, the world gets a war. ... Here's an idea: we hit the
superpower with a boycott the whole world can see, and that American power
can really feel. ... So we empty the
McDonald's, the Niketowns and Hollywood cinemas. We clear out Disneyland. We
turn off Fox, CNN and MTV. We shut down Esso and Texaco, Gap and Starbucks."