Critiquing the National Brand



Greece has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest thirty-nine times since its first appearance in 1974. The Eurovision Song Contest is a platform for the country or artist because the competition not only presents the opportunity for showcasing an original song, but nation-branding as well. According to Paul Jordan’s The Modern Fairytale, nation-branding is “the phenomenon by which governments engage in self-conscious activities aimed at producing a certain image of the nation state” (Jordan, 16). Through Eurovision, nations have the chance to show off their national identity in these annual performances, because it broadcasts a particular image to outsiders. Previously mentioned in my first blog post, Greece identifies with multiple national identities such as religion, historical culture, and language. In my second blog post, I analyzed two Eurovision performances from 2011 and 2012 to understand what exactly Greece was trying to convey to Europe. In this final blog post, I will be discussing the key components in Greece’s nation-branding involving national identity and the country’s performance in Eurovision. Will Greece showcase the reality of its country in its performances as a way of branding its nation?

In order to determine what aspects of Greek nation-branding has been shown on stage, we must be given some context on the country. Greece, a country in Southern Europe, is home to a group of people who identify as Greek and speak the oldest Indo-European language, Hellenic, now known as Greek. The national religion of Greece is Greek Orthodox Christianity, in fact, 81-90% of the population associates itself with this religion (CIA Factbook, 2019). Going back to ancient Greek times, Greece was known for its polytheistic beliefs through the stories written about specific gods and heroes. These tales and rituals are known as Greek mythology (Britannica, 2018).  Language, religion, and historical culture form the basis of Greek national identity and differentiates the country from other nations. Having this background knowledge of Greece gives insight as to how the country fits in with nation-branding in the context of Eurovision. 

Greece’s Eurovision entries from 2011 to 2012 had a strong contrast from one another, but both songs contributed to different aspects of Greek diversity. In 2011, the duo Loucas Yiorkas and Stereo Mike performed “Watch My Dance” in both Greek and English. The song combines traditional Greek-style music with hip-hop suggesting that Greece may have wanted to uphold the country’s cultural identity modeling its nation to Europe. The colors blue and white are consistent in the background of the performance. These colors are seen on the Greek national flag and represents the nation’s colors in general (CIA Factbook, 2019). In the chorus of the song, Yiorkas begins to sing in Greek and refers to God singing “I’m walking my way to God” (Eurovision Song Contest, 2011). Mentioning God in the song may have been a way to represent the country’s stance on religion, because it is such an important characteristic of Greek culture. The lyrics also speak of overcoming hardship specifically when the artist sings “I was born so betrayed, who am I?” (Eurovision Song Contest, 2011). It is possible that this song is alluding to the financial crisis Greece has been suffering from in the last 10 or more years. Although the financial crisis does not represent Greek national identity, the country may be trying to convey the seriousness of their poor economy. With the awareness of this financial crisis, people could see this as a cry for help which could help Greece with nation-branding. Based on the staging and lyrics of the performance—the country’s flag colors and references to God in the Greek chorus—there are clear alignments with Greece’s national identity. However, it is important to note the misalignments as well. The verses were sung in English which is typically not spoken in Greece possibly interfering with Greek national identity.

In 2012, Greece presented a traditional Greek pop song, “Aphrodisiac,” sung in English by Greek vocal artist Eleftheria Eleftheriou. In this upbeat, energetic performance there are already alignments found within the staging. Eleftheriou and the background dancers appear to be dancing in a traditional Greek style. This love song references the mythological Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite which is another clear alignment in the performance (Britannica, 2018). When Eleftheriou sings the lyric “you make me want your aphrodisiac,” a large oyster shell appears on the background of the stage alluding to the famous painting of Aphrodite standing in an oyster shell (Eurovision Song Contest, 2012). References to Greek mythology is also a key aspect of Greek national identity, because mythology is a famous component in ancient Greek history. The key misalignment found in the performance was the use of English throughout the entire song. Greece is known for its long-lasting language, Hellenic, so the language choice interferes with national identity in that English does not represent this country. While the performance portrays Greek culture, the song and staging may be playing into “cultural stereotypes” in which Catherine Baker references in her article Wild Dances and Dying Wolves: Simulation, Essentialization, and National Identity at the Eurovision Song Contest (Baker, 181). Greece emphasizes its Mediterranean location through its songs using “bright colors, rhythmic music, and brown or olive skin” (Baker, 181). This can be a form of stereotyping because Greece is generalizing itself as a fun, upbeat country which does not necessarily align with the country’s national identity. 

Based on the songs from 2011-2012, Greece is using what Catherine Baker refers to as the “tourist gaze” for nation-branding (Baker, 181). Greece is taking advantage of its location in the Mediterranean persuading people to come visit the country using its performances in the Eurovision Song Contest as a form of advertisement. Lyrics and staging of “Watch My Dance” and “Aphrodisiac” heavily emphasize its national identity through language, religion, and historical background. Greek national identity plays an important role with nation-branding specifically within the ESC, because songs emphasize key aspects of national identity in order to attract tourists. Entertaining songs like “Aphrodisiac” is an example “where tourists’ expectations about the foreign destination are constructed through difference to their everyday routines” (Baker, 181). If the country portrays itself as fun and lively, it hopes to engage in more tourism for financial gain. Greece specifically is experiencing a financial crisis and therefore “views nation branding with an emphasis on tourism and foreign direct investment, central to the state’s economic recovery” (Bisa, 64). Using the “tourist gaze” angle for nation-branding, is helpful for Greece because bringing in a mass influx of tourists year-round will help relieve the financial debt and “manage the reputation of the state” (Bisa, 62). 

Based on the alignments and misalignments analyzed previously, Greece does not fall too far from its dominant national identity in terms of its representation at the Eurovision Song Contest. In fact, Greece emphasizes its unique language, historical background, and references to God to give people a sense of what this country is all about in hopes to increase tourism. The key misalignment identified in both songs is the use of English which could take away from the significance of the Greek language. However, this could also mean that Greece is trying to reach a larger audience. Since English is a common language amongst some European countries and even viewers from the United States, the use of English helps the audience understand more about Greece which may benefit tourism.  

The Eurovision Song Contest is an important platform for Greece. However, given the country’s financial state, it has been hard to fully fund artists and their performances with top of the line technology, costuming, and composers for songs. The preview video for “Aphrodisiac” was filmed in a shopping mall due to lack of funds and even so, the broadcaster did not have enough funds, so a private record company funded and chose the artist and song choice (Eurovision Song Contest, 2012). Although Greece has not won the ESC since 2005, their presence in the competition allows them to be visible to the audience. Despite lack of funding, I would say that Greece relies on Eurovision for nation-branding, because it gets to be seen by viewers and showcases national identity which helps the country become a tourist attraction. Greece’s desire to nation-brand is similar to Jordan’s belief in that nation-branding “aims to draw attention away from a negative past while emphasizing the present opportunities that a country can offer the international community into the future” (Jordan, 45). Through nation-branding, tourism specifically, Greece will be able to improve its financial reputation. Overall, Greece’s national identity and nation-branding strategy seems to mesh cohesively in relation to Eurovision. While upbeat songs like “Aphrodisiac” do not necessarily portray the current economic crisis, the positive spirit of the song will encourage people to come visit Greece.

Word count: 1457


Sources:

Aphrodisiac. (n.d.). In Oxford English dictionary. Retrieved from 
http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/9158?redirectedFrom=aphrodisiac#eid
  
Aphrodite. (2018, December 28). In Encyclopedia Britannica online. Retrieved from 
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Aphrodite-Greek-mythology

Baker, C. (2008). Wild dances and dying wolves: simulation, essentialization, and 
national Identity at the Eurovision song contest. Popular Communication, 6(3), 173–189. Retrieved from https://doi-org.proxy.seattleu.edu/10.1080/15405700802198113

Bisa, S. (2013). Rebranding Greece: Why nation branding matters. Exchange: The 
Journal of Public Diplomacy, 4(1), 61–68. Retrieved from
https://surface.syr.edu/exchange/vol4/iss1/6/

Central Intelligence Agency. (2019). Greece. The World Factbook. Retrieved from 
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html

Jordan, P. (2014). The Modern Fairy Tale: Nation Branding, National Identity and the
Eurovision Song Contest in Estonia. University of Tartu Press. Retrieved from


Performances:

Eleftheriou E. (2012). Aphrodisiac (Greece). Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Baku. Retrieved 
fromhttps://eurovision.tv/participant/eleftheria-eleftheriou/info    

Yiorkas L. feat. Stereo Mike. (2011). Watch my dance (Greece). Eurovision Song Contest 
2011 Düsseldorf. Retrieved fromhttps://eurovision.tv/participant/loucas-yiorkas-feat-stereo-mike/info



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