Siun reports on a clever little story over at the Agonist.

Jim Wolf of Reuters has a catchy story today:

Like the maker of an out-of-favor car or sneaker, the U.S. military needs a new "branding" campaign to earn civilian support in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots, a report for the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

"We will help you" could be the pitch, said the 211-page survey by RAND Corp...

snip

"Like commercial firms that must update unattractive brand identities, so too should the United States consider updating its military's brand identity to suit current and future operational environments," the report said.

snip

The "we will help you" line is the brainchild of Keith Reinhard, chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide, a leading global advertising agency, the report said.

"It is a promise that can be kept," the authors said. "And because it positions the United States as a partner of indigenous populations, it does not usurp their authority, dignity or responsibility."(emph added)

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the most terrifying words in the English language are, “I’m from the United States and I’m here to help you.”