The Hybrid Monumental Symbols of Canada's Warrior Nation Moment

The Harper government led a project of rebranding of Canadian identity in the period following the 2011 election. This study focuses on three militaristic symbols from this period as important cultural texts unto themselves, best described as Hybrid Monumental in form. They communicate a monumental vision of Canada, defined by war and sacrifice for the nation. However, they are all hybridized through the layering of established symbols of Canadian identity, tempering their monumental messaging. These symbols are the product of a mutual commitment amongst the Harper Government and key stakeholders to market themselves as iconic brands. This reality has created an environment where not even Canadian soldiers’ deaths are immune from being co-opted and collapsed into brand marks, used to target certain customers and hopefully secure their votes, while remaining ambiguous enough to allow the brand’s image to shift and move on when market conditions, popular opinion on war) changes.