The National Association of Manufacturers World War II campaign: A historical case study on power, ideology, and discourse

Abstract

This paper presents a historical case study of the National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) World War II public relations campaign, using the cultural-economic model of public relations (CEM) to structure the investigation. Through the CEM framework, the study investigates the socio-political and economic climate of the wartime era, the corporate ideology underlying the NAM’s messaging, the national identity it aimed to construct, and the values promoted in its discourse. Employing the discourse-historical approach, this research uncovers how the NAM strategically framed free enterprise as integral to individual liberties to position private business as the true defenders of American values and patriotism. This wartime campaign exemplifies how public relations can intertwine with power, ideology, and discourse, demonstrating the field’s capacity to embed specific values and identities within a broader cultural narrative.