Blackwater changed their logo. What are they trying to say?

[EFerrari]

From this:



To this:




The old one is still all over their website. I'm curious, too, about the use of a bear paw print in crosshairs. There's only one context I can think of for that paw print and that's in Native American art and culture.

Any thoughts?

[havocmom]

1. Native American art & culture OR the Russians?

The point of leaving the name off is that the name has earned such passionate (and deserved) distrust, disgust, and hatred.

[EFerrari]

3. I think so. Also, notice the top and bottom points of the crosshairs

are gone.

I hadn't thought about the Russians. That's interesting.

[havocmom]

7. With cheney in power, I always try to be mindful of old 'enemies'

that made brazillion$ for the Military Industrial Complex. cheney does a lot of re-arranging of old methods that worked for his masters.

[EFerrari]

8. That's a really good point. n/t

[havocmom]

10. Keep thinkin' about Iran. The bears don't want Iran under US control

There's money to be made in bear wrestlin'

[EFerrari]

24. What I'm getting from this image seems to be

"Predators in Christian Nationalist drag" -- when you take the crosshairs, the cross and the bear together.

[havocmom]

30. Now THERE's a subliminal message that sums up our age!

:applause:

[EFerrari]

33. Skinner needs to get us funded as a think tank, lol.

Seriously, the Democrats are worried about message when these wackos not only have a language but a whole creepy culture going for them.

[rucky]

40. Or they're moving the headquarters to Cincinnati.

Bearcats!

[EFerrari]

47. Or, Berkeley!

(Yeah! That'll work!}

[NV Whino]

2. They went from

neutral pawed to left pawed?

Simple answer: they switched graphic designers who thought he/she had a better idea.

[EFerrari]

5. It's a sleeker image - the NYT's calls it "roughneck to corporate".

It's still predatory, though, isn't it? I've been trying to figure out who they want us to see as their "game".

In other words, when we look through the crosshairs, who are we (the viewers) "aiming" at?

[baldguy]

37. If the bear is standing on you, it's the right paw.

[EFerrari]

41. LOL!

:spank:

[sam sarrha]

4. you could make a fairly good swastika with some minor rearrangement of the red pieces

[EFerrari]

6. Hmm.

[zabet]

9. A simple PR move.

With all the bad press BW has gotten lately,
albeit deserved, they want to revamp their
corporate image. The removal of the 'cross hair'
effect makes the logo look less predatory.
The new styled foot print actually looks more
realistic in the new logo.

Just my take - the first logo symbolizes the kill shot
the second logo symbolizes the hunt (tracking skills).

[EFerrari]

11. I agree. Why are we hunting a bear?

[Whisp]

13. not specifically a 'bear' - an 'animal', a dangerous animal...

like those Iraqi families they have been mowing down.

sick.

[EFerrari]

16. It is sick. I thought bear because it's so big.

And, it doesn't look like, say, a big cat's paw to me.

[Whisp]

23. front and back track of a bear.

front:



back:



looks like specifically a bear track.

[Forkboy]

12. Making the paw into just the left side....

...signals that they have indeed embarked on the left hand path. :evilgrin:

Honestly, my first thought was the Russians.Cheney is a an old school war pimp.I bet he hates them "Russkies".Let's face it, he's Col. Jack T. Ripper in the flesh.

[EFerrari]

14. You'd think I would have caught the Russion ref

with all those years of "duck n cover" but I missed it altogether.

[Forkboy]

17. That's ok...

I can't remember my own birthday but can I forget the words to "Kharma Chameleon"? :banghead:

[EFerrari]

20. Trade you for "Macho Man"

lol

[KittyWampus]

15. They hate Steven Colbert?

[EFerrari]

18. Then they's be targeting a moulting eagle, wouldn't they?

:)

[EFerrari]

19. Do any of thes RW wackjobs use crosshairs as a Christian cross?

:shrug:

[Bassic]

21. That they killed the first bear,

and needed to get another one to replace it.

[EFerrari]

25. That works.

:thumbsup:

[Bassic]

26. Glad I could help

:)

[DS1]

22. The paw print is left because the right paw is held up in a Nazi salute

:D


They also changed their website from the very slick/paranoid version of global security to an all-white look with links to the interviews of Prince on youtube.

[EFerrari]

27. Okay, smarty. Do you know where I might find the old one?

I'm trying to nail these little nazi bastards and want to do it using their own stuff. :evilgrin:

[DS1]

36. Here's a portfolio from the site designer

http://www.jaybirch.com/

click on blackwater (duh)

http://web.archive.org/web/20050924090555/http://www.blackwaterusa.com/

they recently updated, I was at their site a few weeks ago and it was this theme

[EFerrari]

38. OMFG!

BLACKWATER USA CONTINUES TO SUPPORT KATRINA DEVASTED AREAS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 13, 2005

BLACKWATER USA CONTINUES TO SUPPORT KATRINA DEVASTED AREAS

Aid Focuses on Humanitarian, Security and Clean Up Needs

Since first joining the relief efforts on September 1, Blackwater USA continues to provide support to the hurricane devastated area through a variety of services including search and rescue, helicopter support, security services, and critical infrastructure protection.

�Blackwater is proud to serve the people of New Orleans,� said Bill Mathews, Executive Vice President of Blackwater. �First and foremost, this is about Americans helping Americans in a time of desperation. We will continue to support local, state, and federal offices and commercial entities with talented professionals to augment their relief and recovery efforts.�

To date, Presidential Airways who shares a common parent with Blackwater, has on a pro bono basis provided a helicopter to support U.S. Coast Guard rescue missions. As of Sept. 12, Blackwater aircrews have moved over eleven tons of supplies and rescued 121 people. Blackwater is also providing security services to federal agencies working in the declared disaster area.

Blackwater is working to secure critical communications infrastructure and is also assisting in securing necessary petrochemical facilities in the immediate aftermath of the storm. In addition, Blackwater employees are currently supporting numerous insurance companies in conducting accurate assessments for what will no doubt be the largest disaster claim in U. S. history.

As a private company, Blackwater USA is capable of responding quickly and cost effectively in order to have an immediate impact on crisis situations and mitigate, to the extent possible, the risk associated with loss of life and property, and support local, state, and federal agencies who are tasked with response efforts.


The following services are available:

# Airlift Services

# Security Services

# Communication Support

# Humanitarian Support Services

# Logistics and Transportation Services

Anyone with security or evacuation needs may call
[phone].

We would also like to thank Iridium Satellite www.iridium.com for providing satellite phones for our relief efforts due to Hurricane Katrina.

[DS1]

42. what are you OMFG!ing about?

You did see the date on that? Or is there something in the release...

[EFerrari]

43. Blackwater was sent into to NOLA to shoot troubly black people.

That was their mission.

Read that release again in that context. :wow:

[DS1]

44. Did they shoot any troubly black people?

Are their any accounts of what they did?

I'm no Blackwater defender, but I do like some sort of evidence to go along with statements like that

[EFerrari]

46. Of course. I have to get back to you because what I'm saying

is from memory, not from primary sources. My memory is, the city was at risk from black people looting and killing and raping. Does that ring a bell? I don't remember any reports of white mobs looting or endangering property, do you?

BW did recruit former South African military defenders of Apartheid to go into NOLA, although that doesn't prove anything except that they were short handed. :eyes:

I heard a caller from NC say it was "well known" that before their gov contracts, they trained militias against the coming race war on their campus -- which just happens to be the place where the term "white supremacy" was coined. :shrug:

This is exactly the crux of what I'm looking for.

PMs and emails out. Let's see what turns up. If I'm wrong, I'll be relieved and I'll cop to it asap.

[Whisp]

28. may as well have changed it to a human foot.

wonder how many bears they've shot in ratio to people.

sick.

[EFerrari]

29. Book review. Time: Bears are like people

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,813307,00.html

The bear print is certainly a way to dehumanize their prey -- and, to exaggerate the danger from the "enemy" at the same time. These bastards are efficient.

[lame54]

31. They stole it from stephen colbert

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Nnph3zkHNw

[begin_within]

32. They also changed their uniforms

[EFerrari]

34. LOL! I wish I was a video guy. Wouldn't it be fun to put up

Blackwater "training" vids?

:rofl:

[begin_within]

35. That would be hilarious. I hope SNL or the Daily Show makes one.

[EFerrari]

39. We don't need them, we have symbolman.

:hi:

[Didereaux]

45. they also use the one shown here...

Shown on the flag and on the side of the armored carrier (the flag is made up, the logo is not)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12461951@N03/

[Javaman]

48. Trying to disassociate their name with the logo.

popular marketing trick for any company under legal fire.

[EFerrari]

49. Strange move. It makes sense, in the short term.

If Prince were as smart as he believes he is, he'd have more than one brand in the fire.

[Javaman]

50. Probably. Expect some sort of media push first...

if that fails, expect a new brand logo after all the problems settle down...if they ever do.