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The Brand Effect Of The Biden Inauguration
Wednesday marked the day-long relaunch of a global Brand called the United States of America. At least three national networks streamed the day-long event of the inauguration of President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, marking the nation’s 46th peaceful transition of power and the end of the uncivil Trump administration.
Presidential Inaugurations are always ritualized events, but yesterday’s ceremony was more intentional, more diverse, and more essentially American than any inauguration in the last 50 years.
The day-long event was both political and cultural. There is a great universe of tropes and memes that American citizens have followed since birth. Many of them were heard again or redesigned to reshape the political trauma now faced by our nation. For ten hours, we were reminded of our nation’s narrative including our history, courage and reason for being. We were shown repeated images of our nation’s Capitol, hailed as “the temple of democracy.” Our nation’s emotional spine is music and throughout the day, tunes ranged from “This Land Is Your Land” to “Taki Taki”.
Emphasis was put on origins: America’s centuries of uninterrupted democracy, beginning with the swearing in of first President George Washington in 1789. We were reminded that Lincoln stood on these same Capitol steps even while the…
