Harmonizing Political and Marketing Aesthetics: Insights from The Chess Olympiad 2022

Abstract

This article explores how the Government of Tamil Nadu, India, utilised strategic mass communication methods that emerged from a fusion of political and marketing strategies to create an aesthetic approach that elevated Chess Olympiad 2022, an event typically less in the public eye, into a spectacle that captured widespread attention by focusing on the event’s impact on their cultural identity and the subsequent construction of a narrative of global cultural leadership. The marketing strategy of the Government of Tamil Nadu, India may be considered an aesthetic application of the theory of symbolic interactionism, as it employed literary, musical arts and visual arts across Chennai, that ensured active engagement of individuals in the city with the government's aesthetic representations. These visual representations acted as symbolic cues, inviting interaction and sparking the curiosity of the the whole host city, the Government of Tamil Nadu, India succeeded in turning Chess into a spectator sport, and by doing so, forged a key place in the national identity for Chess by building a narrative of collective linguistic and cultural identity. Since all citizens do not have an expert level knowledge on government policies, the media narrative that is built around any government policy determines its perceived success. The media narrative of Chess Olympiad 2022 was the narrative of India emerging as a global leader in cultural diplomacy - a soft power approach that is shaped by aesthetics. In dissecting the intricate interplay between mass communication, aesthetics, and societal identity formation, this study elucidates the transformative role of these strategies during the Chess Olympiad 2022, highlighting their profound implications within the socio-cultural landscape.