In the preface to his book "The Swastika: Constructing the Symbol," Malcolm Quinn writes about the swastika "as a sign of identity in an era when personal and collective identities were being rapidly displaced." In other words, the Third Reich banded under a powerful logo.
Today, international terrorist groups use symbols in a similar way -- to demonstrate power and inspire fear under recognizable visual imagery. "Branding Terror," a new book from Merrell Publishers, confronts this idea by deconstructing symbols of 60 global terrorist groups. Conceived by Artur Beifus, a former UN counter-terrorism analyst, and creative director Francesco Trivini Bellini, "Branding Terror" looks at terrorist logos as they would examine Apple's iconic apple or the four-colors in "Google."
"Terrorist groups are no different from other organizations in their use of branding to promote their ideas and to distinguish themselves from groups that share similar aims," the press release reads. In an attempt to demystify the visual imagery of terrorism, Beifus and Bellini look at how groups like the Al Qaeda and the Taliban market themselves to a global audience.
See a slideshow of the groups below, and let us know what you think in the comments.
