Perú INC: La pugna por una nación a partir del Nation Branding

Throughout the last decade Peru has experienced an intoxicating rediscovery –or pseudo revalorization- due to its booming gastronomy, tourism and economic growth. In this context, the present research aims to explain what is the social outlook of Peru regarding the concept of nation, its reencounter with a non-existent identity and the construction of an idea of nation based on the Peru Brand marketing campaign. Taking notice of the apparent wonder that circles around Peru’s international –and domestic- image, the official discourse has found in the narrative of Peru Brand’s publicity the perfect means to convey the idea of a country that is tolerant, pluricultural and free of social conflicts. However, this same discourse rises in a country replete with social conflicts, where the dissenter becomes “terrorist”, “syndicalist”, anti-Peruvian. Peru Brand, far from uniting all Peruvians and have them converge in the famous “melting pot”, becomes the resemantization of the old colonial discourse where the hegemonic discourse longs for a republic without natives. This is why, in the Peru Brand advertising discourse, the «primitive natives» are imported from Nebraska, are white and speak English.