The Branding of Nelson Mandela

[Ash]

Will the legacy of Nelson Mandela, who passed away last week at age 95, be cheapened by all kinds of consumer goods?

"From political posters to bottles of wine and kitchen aprons, the face and name of Nelson Mandela are a potent commercial and political brand in South Africa," reports Reuters.


Mandela divided the management of his legacy between a series of trusts to handle his finances and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which serves as custodian of his wider moral legacy, the news service reports. A portion of the revenue from Mandela Foundation's 46664 clothing line — named for his prisoner number during his years at Robben Island --and from artwork pays for family members' education, according to Reuters. Mandela didn't sanction everything that uses his name. There are dozens of companies registered with the South African government that use the Mandela name.

Among some of those products is "House of Mandela," a line of wines started by one of Mandela's daughters and a granddaughter. Mandela had said he didn't want to be associated with alcohol or tobacco, Reuters reported.

"The scramble for control of the Mandela legacy -- both financial and moral -- will involve his family, the ruling African National Congress (ANC), and the Nelson Mandela Foundation he set up to protect his broader message," Reuters writes. "At stake is the inheritance that will go to Mandela's more than 30 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, some of whom already use the Mandela name and image to market everything from clothing to reality TV."

Mandela's grandchildren created a collection of caps and sweatshirts with Mandela's image under the brand "Long Walk to Freedom," the title of their grandfather's autobiography.

"This is what we are, in a sense, entitled to, that my father worked for, and he did it with his own hands to create something for the welfare and upkeep of himself and his children," daughter Makaziwe Mandela told the Financial Times in April.

Why is it wrong or "sacrilegious" for Mandela's children to profit in this way? she asked.

The Branding of Nelson Mandela - The Washington Post

I wonder did the same thing happen after the death of the Mahatha all those years ago after his death w.r.t his family trying to cash in on the name?

 

[Ash]

The comment below was written by a reader of the above article " Don't anyone tell this to Barak Obama, he'll want
to change the name to Mandibacare". I think it is a clever comment on his opinion, funny yet deep.

 

[Ash]

7 Nelson Mandela Quotes You Probably Won't See In The U.S. Media:

The former South African president, who died Thursday, was a revolutionary and a deep skeptic of American power.

7. On the U.S. war with Iraq:
"If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America. They don't care for human beings."
Via cbsnews.com

6. On Israel:
"Israel should withdraw from all the areas which it won from the Arabs in 1967, and in particular Israel should withdraw completely from the Golan Heights, from south Lebanon and from the West Bank."
Via jweekly.com

5. On the U.S. war with Iraq:
"All that (Mr. Bush) wants is Iraqi oil."
Via cbsnews.com

4. Mandela on Castro and the Cuban revolution:
"From its earliest days, the Cuban Revolution has also been a source of
inspiration to all freedom-loving people. We admire the sacrifices of the Cuban people in maintaining their independence and sovereignty in the face of the vicious imperialist-orquestrated campaign to destroy the impressive gain made in the Cuban Revolution. "¦ Long live the Cuban Revolution. Long live comrade Fidel Castro."
Via lanic.utexas.edu

3. Mandela on Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, his longtime supporter:
"It is our duty to give support to the brother leader "¦ especially in regards to the sanctions which are not hitting just him, they are hitting the ordinary masses of the people "¦ our African brothers and sisters."
Via finalcall.com

2. On the U.S. preparing to invade Iraq in a 2002 interview with Newsweek:
"If you look at those matters, you will come to the conclusion that the attitude of the United States of America is a threat to world peace."
Via newsweek.com

1. On a Palestinian state:
"The UN took a strong stand against apartheid; and over the years, an international consensus was built, which helped to bring an end to this iniquitous system. But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians."
Via cbsnews.com

7 Nelson Mandela Quotes You Probably Won't See In The U.S. Media

 

[Free Karma]

I wonder did the same thing happen after the death of the Mahatha all those years ago after his death w.r.t his family trying to cash in on the name?

It happened quite recently:
Mont Blanc not to sell 'Gandhi pen' - Times Of India

Mont Blanc tried to do something like this...the acquired the rights for it from Gandhi's grandson, but a PIL was filed saying Gandhi supported a life of simplicity, and that this would be "ungandhian" . Mont Blanc decided it was not worth it.

Also...dont know if you consider his autobiography as a profit making...it sells for like 15 rupees or something,

 

[Ash]

It happened quite recently:
Mont Blanc not to sell 'Gandhi pen' - Times Of India

Mont Blanc tried to do something like this...the acquired the rights for it from Gandhi's grandson, but a PIL was filed saying Gandhi supported a life of simplicity, and that this would be "ungandhian" . Mont Blanc decided it was not worth it.

Also...dont know if you consider his autobiography as a profit making...it sells for like 15 rupees or something,

Yes, I think the association of a luxury brand with Ghandi is a contradiction of what he stood for,i.e simplicity. On the other hand the Mandelas are milking the situation for all that it is worth. There is even a reality show, Mandelas or being Mandelas on Satilite T.V. (Fox tv, if I am not mistaken).
I read Ghandhi's autobiography, "My Experiments with the truth" as well as a biography. By the way his grand daughter, Ela Ghandi lives in South Africa. I am not sure if she was born here. In the 80's her son Kush, was shot and killed by intruders. But it was more likely by the security police during that time or one of the political parties that worked with the apartheid Govt.