 Toothpicks and Logos: Design in Everyday Life John Heskett Oxford University Press 2002 Another view: "The significance of objects, the precise values imputed to them however, will often vary considerably between different cultures. Meaning is not necessarily permanently fixed, however, since the significance of products can vary over time and space. A classic example was the Volkswagen Beetle, developed in 1930s Germany on the direct orders of Adolf Hitler. . . With production of the first prototypes in 1937, by the "Strength through Joy' section of the German Labor Front, the official workers' organization, it was promoted as an icon of the achievements of the Nazi Party. When production recommenced on a large scale after the Second World War, the VW was successfully exported to the United States in the 1950s and became a cult object. The design was virtually identical across this period of time, but the significance of the product underwent a remarkable transformation: from an icon of fascism in the 1930's . . . .to the loveable 'Bug' and hero of Walt Disney's Herbie films in 1960s America. The transformation went further with the redesigned Beetle that appeared in 1997, which also rapidly acquired cult status in the United States. " |
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