Top Gear – Mexico episode highlights power of nation brands

The recent episode about BBC’s motor show Top Gear’s remarks on Mexico, Mexicans and Mexican products highlights the sometimes under-valued power of nation brands. The episode vividly showed to what extent countries are haunted by stereotypes and cliches, and how commercial brands and products are many times judged by their country of origin rather than…

Austria and Mexico’s national images under Bruno threat

As British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie “Buno” is rolling out all over the world, Austrians and Mexicans, two peoples negatively portrayed on the film, wonder whether they should act to correct their image or just ignore it. As most people already know, Bruno is about a fictional gay Austrian fashion fanatic who wants…