Cultural

Cultural icon

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A cultural icon can be an image, a symbol, a logo, picture, name, face, person, or building or other image that is readily recognised, and generally represents an object or concept with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group. A representation of an object or person, or that object or person may come to be regarded as having a special status as particularly representative of, or important to, or loved by, a particular group of people, a place, or a period in history.

1 Icons and persons
2 Icons and brands
3 Examples of cultural icons worldwide
4 See also
5 External links

Icons and persons

Human beings can acquire cultural iconic status through their actions, achievements, role, beliefs, convictions.

Che Guevara, symbol of rebellion and revolution

Nelson Mandela, a symbol of freedom and equality

Mahatma Gandhi, a symbol of non-violence

Casablanca, symbolises a human being's conflict between love and virtue

Iconic figures can emerge in social groupings (Gay icon, Pop icon), political parties, among fans of a particular sport or type of music.

Some images may be quite well known, though their name may not be familiar, or even the person depicted may be unknown, as is the case with La Gioconda. In other cases, a name such as Shakespeare may bring to mind a well-known portrait of that person.

Icons and brands

Examples: Andy Warhol, Budweiser, Campbell's Soup, BMW, Chanel, Coca-Cola, Guinness, Harley-Davidson, Lego, Martha Stewart, Nike, Norman Rockwell, Star Wars, Vuitton

Lessons from Cultural Icons - How to Create an Iconic Brand [1] suggests that brands can reflect societal values and changes, but many people have become weary of them. Many brands aspire to become cultural icons, but fail. Cultural icons are often timeless, imprinted in our consciousness. They can go through several stages, from "rumblings, undercurrents" via "catharsis, explosion" and "mass acceptance, ripple effect" to "glorification, representative value". While brands are rational and driven by features, cultural icons are emotional, free, diven by feeling, and creating emotional bonds.

In 2001, the National Statistics Office UK 2001 Census in the United Kingdom was forced to add Jedi Knight as an option under Religion.

Examples of cultural icons worldwide

Cultural icons may be national, regional or related to a city, and they can symbols for a nation, or can evoke particular values held by that state. For example, France uses Marianne as a symbol of the French Revolution and the rejection of royalism in favour of republicanism and laicity.

Australia

Koala bear

Britain

In 2006, the British Broadcasting Corporation presented Living Icons [2], an attempt to find the greatest cultural icon in Britain today. Nominations were received, a shortlist of ten was compiled, and a vote decided the winner, David Attenborough (natural history broadcaster). Runners-up were the musicians Morrissey, Paul McCartney and David Bowie, the actors Michael Caine and Stephen Fry, the singer Kate Bush, the dramatist Alan Bennett, the fashion model Kate Moss, and the fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.

The Scottish Government has established a new scheme to honour the nation's most successful artists and cultural icons [3].

A Welsh Assembly minister has issued a report in May 2008 which calls for maximisation of the potential of Wales's cultural icons.

ICONS Online is a not-for-profit organisation whose first project is ICONS.a portrait of England [4]. The project received more than a thousand nominations. Among the most popular items are the Yorkshire Pudding, the Christmas Pantomime, the English Bull Terrier, the Royal Mail red pillar box, Rupert Bear, afternoon tea, the Houses of Parliament, the Household Cavalry, the English seaside town, the Red Arrows, the National Trust, Ordnance Survey maps, the village green, High tea, Mince pie, Full English breakfast, Remembrance Day poppies, 10 Downing Street, Blue Police Box, Beefeater (or Yeoman Warder).

Houses of Parliament	William Shakespeare, Chandos portrait	Robert Burns	Yorkshire Pudding
Christmas Panto	Full English breakfast	Remembrance Day poppy	Pillar box

See: List of cultural icons of England

China

The Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 [5] featured a number of cultural icons:

Well-known sayings of the educator Confucius and his Lunyu, accompanied by the percussion instrument Fous
Apsaras is an image in the mural paintings at the Mogao grottoes of Dunhuang
The Four Treasures of the Study, referring to the brush, ink stick, paper and inkstone. Chinese ink and wash painting. Bamboo slips, an ancient book form.
Harmony, important to Confucius
Taiji - the chaotic state of the world before the separation of heaven and earth.
Taijiquan, a form of shadow boxing in Chinese martial arts