How Governments Use Design & Propaganda to Control You

These were the two main sources I used when researching this video (I also referenced several other sources, which are written in the video itself):

All content directed and written by John Mauriello. John Mauriello has been working professionally as an industrial designer since 2010. He is an Adjunct Professor of industrial design at California College of the Arts.

Every single day, the designed objects around you subtly influence your thoughts about governments and ideologies. You see it in the products you use, the architecture in your cities, art that is state-funded, and the graphic design of public service announcements. This video will uncover all the tools and tricks that designers, artists, and architects use when trying to influence your thoughts with crafty propaganda.

Time stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:16 Scribes as Propaganda
3:05 Font Design as Propaganda
6:25 Henson
7:40 Modern Document Design as Propaganda
10:45 Constructivism
12:45 Socialist Realism
14:35 US Propaganda & Consumerism
17:20 Mid-century Modern
21:54 Abstract Expressionism and the US Government
23:36 Weapons Design as Propaganda
28:10 Shock & Contrast in Propaganda
33:55 Truth In Propaganda
36:19 Palazzo Braschi

[Design.Theory]

EDIT: Many people have commented, asking why I fail to use proper terms for certain political regimes. Once again, I’m trying to be mindful of YouTube content guidelines. When referring to the USSR, I call them "Russians", even though that is not the proper term, for example. When referring to the 1930s/1940s political regime in Germany, I never call the political party by its name. YouTube automated systems are very sensitive to terms that might be considered even slightly controversial, even if what I am doing is well within the rules of their content policy. But an actual human may never review my video to see the full context. I find this very annoying, but if you want to post on their platform, you gotta play by their rules.

EDIT 2: Lots of comments are saying "this video is propaganda". Well, yeah. Pretty much all media is capable of influencing your thinking, and therefore could be loosely considered propaganda. Even the comments saying "this is propaganda" are propaganda.

[Diax]

The narrative of this video reminds me of something: A KGB agent and a CIA agent meet at a bar. The CIA Agent says, "Your propaganda is incredible. It's almost believable!", To which the KGB Agent says, "No comrade, our propaganda is but a pale shadow compared to yours. Your people actually believe it!" to which the CIA Agent replies, aghast, "The United States doesn't have any propaganda!"

[mateospennati]

38:23 i have a modern example of this. When a website asks you to accept cookies the yes option is always in colour while no is bland black and white.

[aBKNYO.-tzmi]

Love the line
'The most powerful weapon against propaganda, isn't more propaganda. It's our curiosity to look beyond the facade'

Great video essay

[StergiosMavroudis]

I admit it, agaist my better judgement, I spend far too much time in Youtube, but man. What a GREAT analysis. This video should be shown in classrooms across the world.

[alexhartan]

"Does copying the enemy's tactics, even in the service of good, tarnish our cause?"

GREAT Question

[BenAlternate-zfnr]

The repetition of 'SI' is a message: "This is what everyone around you thinks. If you're the one 'no', you'll stand out and everyone will know."

[liberty-matrix]

"No matter how paranoid or conspiracy minded you are, what the government is actually doing is worse than you can imagine". ~William Blum

[MathieuChauvin]

Wow. I’m French and I never knew about the King’s Roman Font. Super interesting, as always!

[recnepsgnitnarb]

Many years ago, I watched an interview with Nazi propagandist Fritz Hippler. He later denounced Nazism but in his comments about the effectiveness of Nazi and other forms of propaganda, he stated that "propaganda makes things simple." To those who are "weak-minded" a simple answer to a complicated issue is extremely attractive.

To paraphrase Obi Wan Kenobi, "politics/propaganda has a strong influence on the weak-minded."

The Nazis were very keen on using three primary colors in their posters and the like. Red, black, and white. These three colors had been used for centuries since the development of printing to draw the reader's eye into headlines and messages that the publisher wanted to promote.

This same tactic is widely employed in political posters and bumper stickers. Ever notice how recent presidential candidates only stick to three colors in their propaganda? It is seen all over the place now that the United States is in the midst of another presidential election, with one "candidate" using only one color on the hats they sell, the color red.

It was briefly touched on in this presentation about flags and their use as idols to focus nationalism and so called "patriotism." Most of the world's flags have red in them to some degree. That red is meant to represent the blood shed in endless wars.

When a person is able to perceive the subconscious messaging in advertisements and propaganda, they are able to "reverse hack" their mind and then able resist the influence that propaganda has on the "weak-minded."

[yeseniarobles]

Not just government, everyone has the ability to influence. We even learn that as little kids, when we wanted something we knew exactly how to ask for it and whom to ask for it, and if they didn’t want to we’d also threaten to stop or do something in order to get it.

[oxylepy]

I love that a joke about birds not being real literally gets brought up all the time.

[JacobCanote]

Great essay. The horses are watching....

🐴

[Daniil_Ryvak]

I've written my thesis in history of propaganda and this is an incredible study into the subject but I've been shocked when it ended after 42 minutes. Waiming for the second part of it, sensei?

[timbookedtwo]

An American and a Russian are on a plane bound for the US. The American asks the Russian what he will be doing in the US. The Russian replies, "I will be studying US propaganda." The American says, "There is no propaganda in the US." The Russian comes back and says, "You see?"

[Arroway]

The AR-15 segment is only frustrating because of the phrase "functionally similar". There are wooden stock, "hunting style" rifles that are more than merely functionally similar. They are _functionally identical_ . Same rate of fire. Same range. Same ammunition. It is literally only a matter of aesthetics that differentiates them. This is important. If certain guns can be outlawed based solely on such an arbitrary factor, it erodes the right to bear arms.

But I really love your videos. They're very informative.

[ScalesQT]

This is a crazy amount of research, congrats on one of the most informative videos on the internet 👏👏

[jtrealfunny]

Great piece and very timely. I love how well thought through and detailed your stuff is. It's long but it's still packed with important detail and context. Take it from the man.

[Sohave]

I have always had the distinction between propaganda and commercials that:
Commercials sells you stuff through ideas.
Propaganda sells you ideas through stuff.

[banuyam]

"Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state."

―Noam Chomsky