Torches of Freedom

In the late 1920s, George Washington Hill, the president of the American Tobacco Company was in a pinch. 

This is where it all began. I want you to pay the utmost attention to every detail as we unravel the mastermind behind the Torches of Freedom. 

It so happened that even though cigarettes were popular among men and were in good demand, the industry was still suffering. 

And the main reason why was that women weren’t smoking because of societal norms. 

There were also other miscellaneous reasons which we shouldn’t bother getting into. 

So one day Washington visited Bernays. 

He told him about the situation and how it was crucial that Bernays helped him. 

He accepted it. 

Then Bernays contacted other psycho-analysts across the US and asked their opinion on it. 

And various people gave their thoughts and solutions to the problem Bernays set out to solve. 

One of them gave him an incredible idea. 

And that was to link the product to a human desire which couldn’t be fulfilled in the modern world. 

And what do you think women suffered from at that time? 

It was freedom and independence. 

And Bernays knew exactly what he needed to do. 

He wanted to link cigarettes to independence for women. 

And he achieved it in the most perfect fashion. 

He created a dramatic event. 

During the 1929 Easter Sunday Parade in New York City, he hired a group of women. 

And they were paid to perform a skit. 

These women on a certain cue started to pull out and smoke cigarettes. 

Which Bernays had branded as “Torches of Freedom”

Look at how genius this is. 

Manipulating women into thinking that they are doing something important. 

This was a powerful visual statement against societal norms and challenged everything that was believed. 

The act spread quickly through the newspapers “Elegant Women Smoking”

Who wouldn’t like that title? 

But the outcomes were far outreaching. 

This just goes to show how important influence is. 

And how it ties to today's world. 

This is practically what everyone does these days. 

Look at all the course guru’s. 

They associate their products with emotion to sell better

(although everyone is pretty shit at it)

But people like Iman Gadzhi figured it out. 

They know how people think and can sell any product at any time. 

And you need to understand this before you become a slave of consumerism. 

Understand it. Break it and then learn to use it. 

That’s why I wanted to talk about this. 

I’d like to hear your views on propaganda. What are your thoughts on it?

With Energy, 

Vishal