отдел агитации и пропаганды!

While we’re on the retail beat here at LOLFed, it’s worth checking out this article on the new ad campaign at Saks, which draws inspiration both from  Soviet propaganda and the posters utilized by the Works Progress Administration in the 1940s to boost morale (yes, also propaganda).  In the picture above, it’s easy to see the Red influence and maybe even shades of Rosie the Riveter. Also, continuing the Idiocracy-tinged them of retail slogans getting dumber and shorter (think of Best Buy’s “You. Happier.” and Wal-Mart’s “Save Money. Live Better.” for example), the new Saks campaign implores you to “Want It” (they’ve been using this one a while), and also to “Arm Yourself” and wear “Brave Pants”:

SHOPPING, these days, is a political act. If you are brave enough to buy a $2,000 Prada handbag, you might rationalize that you are helping to stimulate the economy. Solidarity, people!

Saks Fifth Avenue, which has surely felt the recession’s sting, is taking just such a fist-raising stand with its spring marketing. The campaign is inspired by the bold graphic designs and propaganda spirit of Constructivist art — although it is intended to be tongue-in-cheek.

The campaign is executed by Shepard Fairey, who created the Obama HOPE iconic that is probably the marketing standard to which all future presidential campaigns should aspire.  Saks’ management wants to let you know that despite the indoctrinational undertones, the ads really are just shop as usual:

“What we do every day, really, is propaganda,” said Terron E. Schaefer, the senior vice president for marketing at Saks.

I, for one, welcome our Saks masters, and will “arm myself” with plenty of bags… but only when they’re 80% off like everything at Saks is, right now.