Cultural icon

improve this article] to meet Wikipedia's Wikipedia style guidelines or discuss the issue on the talk page. }}

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.

Icons and persons

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

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 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, driven 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.

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

Belgium

Cartoon: Hergé (Georges Remi) , Tintin, Asterix
Music: Jacques Brel , Jean-Claude Van Damme
Structures and statues: Atomium, Manneken Pis

Brasil

Music: Bossa Nova [, Joao Gilberto , Astrud Gilberto, Gilberto Gil , Antonio Carlos Jobim , Carmen Miranda

Bulgaria

Ivo Papasov

Canada

Leonard Cohen ,

China

The Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008

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