Buy national campaigns: Patriotic shopping and the capitalist nation state

Abstract

Since the eighteenth century, but with increased dynamism in the twentieth century, calls on consumers to buy national products have proliferated all around the world. This article discusses which historical constellations have given rise to the demand for patriotic shopping. Each case raises the question whether the demand was voiced within the framework of a broad national movement with political, cultural, and economic goals or was rather a case of business interest groups attempting to increase sales. These are not mutually exclusive alternatives: calls to buy national have often entailed an element of both. However, some have more the character of a movement beyond the immediate control of business groups, while others are just a promotional campaign. All in all, the demand for nationally minded consumption has mostly sought to establish business as deserving the solidarity of citizens. It has also displayed a patriarchal and authoritarian bent. But have such exhortations produced the desired effect? It is doubtful that any buy national campaign or movement has fundamentally changed the shopping patterns of consumers, at least if we discount physical violence and short-term success. Yet the call for patriotic consumption has often prepared the discursive ground for protectionist measures. As an effort to promote consent, they have tied into the hegemonic project of the capitalist nation state.

Modernity, beauty and the Swedish “way of life”: lifestyle marketing in Stomatol toothpaste advertisements, 1910–1940

“…In the late nineteenth century, there was a wave of nationalism across Europe, which 'helped to constitute a global discourse about national identity, sovereignty and legitimacy' (Calhoun, 1998:1). As citizens became increasingly concerned with what made their nation unique, canny marketers saw a new opportunity, drawing upon nationalist rhetoric in advertisements to emphasise a product's origins or make references to local traditions with the aim of instilling national pride in citizens (Kühschelm, 2020). In Sweden, the concept of 'nationalism' was not entirely unproblematic, being, on the one hand, bound in Nordism (i.e., connections with Norwegian and Danish culture) and, on the other, appropriated by the Fascists People's Party for propagandistic purposes as the century progressed (Berggren, 2002;Elmersjö, 2020).…”

“…Stomatol promotes the Swedish "way of life" In the late 19th century, there was a wave of nationalism across Europe, which "helped to constitute a global discourse about national identity, sovereignty and legitimacy" (Calhoun, 1998, p. 1). As citizens became increasingly concerned with what made their nation unique, canny marketers saw a new opportunity, drawing upon nationalist rhetoric in advertisements to emphasise a product's origins or make references to local traditions with the aim of instilling national pride in citizens (Kühschelm, 2020). In Sweden, the concept of Lifestyle marketing in Stomatol toothpaste "nationalism" was not entirely unproblematic, being, on the one hand, bound in Nordism (i.e.…”

“Buy local” campaigns in times of crisis: insights from reactance theory

“…, 2021). Initiatives that try to get people to “buy local” [1] can seemingly be traced back to the Roman empire where “the call to prefer goods that had been produced within the realm made its appearance as a topic of mass media communication” (Kühschelm, 2020, p. 82). More recently, former US president Trump's “America First” campaign epitomizes such initiatives as illustrated in his 2017 inaugural address in which he vowed to “follow two simple rules: buy American, and hire American” (Mittal, 2017, p. 20).…”

The impact of Instagram Fashion influencers’ characteristics on customers’ intention to purchase

“…"Buy national" advertising has served as a propaganda weapon for both carving out new nation states from imperial authority as well as coping with the loss of power in previous imperial centers. For instance, economic crisis, particularly when linked to international competition, had led to calls for consumers to prioritize their own country (Kühschelm, 2020).…”