The Lone Star Brand

March and April are big months in the Lone Star State. March represents the epic struggles between freedom fighters and despotism—the fall of valiant forces hopelessly outnumbered. Even into the month of April, a provisional government was on the run ahead of a massive army. Few non-Texans may realize that on the night before the great battle at San Jacinto, Mexican forces nearly captured the president of Texas, who narrowly escaped by canoe along the Buffalo Bayou, reaching an old riverboat to chug him toward a fortified Galveston. Even fewer realize that Texas forces were bracing for a slaughter. But it was an odd turn of events on a prairie near Brays Bayou that revealed Santa Anna's strategy—and his error in thinking. That moment turned the tide for Texas, setting the stage for an epic victory on the 21st of April, 1836.

Below are icons of that struggle that have become brands of history in their rights. The Alamo, Sam Houston, and Jim Bowie. Why, even Texas herself is a brand all her own. These entries hint at what makes the Lone Star State so unique, not only in the minds of her citizens, but also around the world. And why, when someone utters the word, Texas, the mind swirls in a torrent of expectation. 

Therefore, submitted for your approval...Texas!

Remembering the Alamo - As Thermopylae is to most Greeks, so is the Alamo to most Texans. And while the Alamo is one of two defining moments which helped establish the Texas brand identity, the Alamo is its own stand alone brand. Click here to understand how.

Sam—I am no Wellington - Sam Houston lived many lives, but it was in Texas that he met his destiny as a commander, and as president. Click to learn more about this unusual hero.

Now that's a knife - Jim Bowie earned his legendary reputation with his signature knife long before the Alamo. Click to find out why he may be the toughtest man in history.

Celebrating a really big brand - Texas! The very sound of that word evokes an expectation. Click to learn what makes the Lone Star State such a big brand.

Branded Funk and Horror

Darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood, to terrorize the neighborhood—and whosoever shall be found without the soul for getting down, must stand and face the hounds of hell. We bring the funk of forty thousand years, while grizzly ghouls from every tomb are closing in to seal your doom. Fight though you might to stay alive, your body starts to shiver. For no mere mortal can resist the evil of the ... thriller*!

The werewolf—found in ancient texts as far back as those by Herodotus, references to werewolves were not flights of fanciful horror. They were believed real and several accounts given by eyewitnesses. Indeed, it was reported that a Scythian tribe morphed into werewolves one each year, changing back after a few days. Here is more ancient evidence of the werewolf's curse.    

The mummy’s initial service in the horror genre began with The Mummy! Or a Tale of the Twenty-Second Century. This science fiction novel made mummies weird right from the start. Written in 1827, the odd twist was dropping an ancient mummy into the 22nd Century. It’s like a demented Buck Rogers. Of course, Bram Stoker (of Dracula fame) did his part to stoke the horror perceptions of the gift-wrapped demons. Together with other storytellers, Loudon and Stoker built the foundations for mummy awareness. Here is the answer to what spurred fascination with these mindless, stomping corpses of the past.

Dracula impaled victims made up of political opponents or Turks captured on the battlefield, and left them to slowly slide down a wooden spike in agony and without mercy, until they bled out. Death often took days. The near dead and corpses were left on the spikes as birds pecked and tore at their rotting flesh. Here are the answers to why Dracula scare invading Turks.

*Introduction unabashedly lifted from Michael Jackson's song, Thriller.

D-Day—a Beginning to an End

Operation Overlord, otherwise known as D-Day—6 June 1944, marked the beginning of a year long effort to conclude the European theater of World War II. Unless you live under a rock, it's no secret the day was long, bloody, and the hinge of ultimate victory or defeat for both sides. Perseverance, sacrifice, and just plain grit gave the Allies the edge—and thankfully so.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, below are posts relevant to the entire war, fitting to give texture and context to the event that lit the fuse to the War's end. Therefore submitted for your approval...

An Infamous Brand – Pearl Harbor was a watershed moment for the United States of America. Reminiscent of Hannibal's defeat of Rome at Cannae, Japan made the same errors and let loose a sleeping giant. Also watch this short clip: Living in Infamy. 

Eye of the Tiger – One of the wildest Team Brands from World War II, and highly effective to Tojo's chagrin, are the Flying Tigers. These were hard living, fast flying, ruthless-in-the-skies pilots and ground crews that made Japan think twice. Sit back for the whole nine yards and learn more.

Red Tails – To squadrons of bomber crews gritting it out in the skies over Europe, the Red Tails were angels on their shoulders. This is "Pure-D" American, and it showed that absolutely no color mattered except one—Red. Push the throttle balls to the wall and learn more.

The Original Inglorious Bastard – The Churchill name is synonymous with British resolve and toughness. While Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II,  he was singularly defiant of Hitler and repeated NAZI assaults on the Brits. Dig in your heals alongside this wartime icon to learn more.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt – FDR held up as one of the greatest of the U.S. presidents. Elected to office four times, Roosevelt presided during the Great Depression and World War II, all while battling a crippling disease. Take a fireside seat to learn more.

A new deal           A new deal for new hope 

The Blue Ghost – That nickname was given to the aircraft carrier Lexington (CV-16) during World War II. She earned it from her enemy, the Imperial Japanese, and it was popularized by the propagandist, Tokyo Rose. Dive in to learn why.