Branded

Running a country is a lot like managing a business: Reputation is everything. So, what can you do if your national image has been sullied -- whether by war, drugs, or just bad neighbors? Break out a new branding campaign.

The slogan: "The Winner Is Georgia"
The architect: Bahrain office of London's M&C Saatchi
The pitch: Georgia lost decisively in its short war with Russia last summer, but don't tell that to the government's PR people. "The Winner Is Georgia" campaign pits the country against other nations -- Georgia vs. France, Georgia vs. China, Georgia vs. Australia -- and asserts that when it comes to the best place to do business or to visit, Georgia wins -- even if not on the battlefield.

The slogan: "The Winner Is Georgia"
The architect: Bahrain office of London’s M&C Saatchi
The pitch: Georgia lost decisively in its short war with Russia last summer, but don’t tell that to the government’s PR people. "The Winner Is Georgia" campaign pits the country against other nations — Georgia vs. France, Georgia vs. China, Georgia vs. Australia — and asserts that when it comes to the best place to do business or to visit, Georgia wins — even if not on the battlefield.

The slogan: "Korea, Sparkling!"
The architect: New York’s BCA Marketing Communications
The pitch: In October, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak voiced what many of his citizens privately feared: Their neighbor to the north, Kim Jong Il, was tarnishing South Korea’s reputation among tourists and investors. So, to counter Kim’s moves, South Korea’s spin doctors are pushing an effervescent new slogan to win over skeptics: "Korea, Sparkling!"

The slogan: "Colombia Is Passion"
The architect: Independent consultant David Lightle
The pitch: Cocaine trafficking, guerrillas, and assassinations color much of the world’s view of this war-scarred nation. But as the country’s civil conflict winds down, the Colombian government wants its rep to be among the first things to change. The solution? Play up the people’s passion "for life, for family, for nature, and… for peace," according to the campaign.

More from Foreign Policy

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping give a toast during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping give a toast during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21.

Can Russia Get Used to Being China’s Little Brother?

The power dynamic between Beijing and Moscow has switched dramatically.

Xi and Putin shake hands while carrying red folders.
Xi and Putin shake hands while carrying red folders.

Xi and Putin Have the Most Consequential Undeclared Alliance in the World

It’s become more important than Washington’s official alliances today.

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

It’s a New Great Game. Again.

Across Central Asia, Russia’s brand is tainted by Ukraine, China’s got challenges, and Washington senses another opening.

Kurdish military officers take part in a graduation ceremony in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, on Jan. 15.
Kurdish military officers take part in a graduation ceremony in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, on Jan. 15.

Iraqi Kurdistan’s House of Cards Is Collapsing

The region once seemed a bright spot in the disorder unleashed by U.S. regime change. Today, things look bleak.