Do not tell. Show.
The Play
As the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Similarly, symbols are powerful visual tools for advocacy, capable of simplifying complex ideas into recognizable forms that resonate with broad audiences.
Effective symbols are simple, replicable, and participatory, allowing ordinary people to adopt and reproduce them. The most impactful ones can be drawn, worn, or displayed anywhere—on walls, banners, clothes, or social media—ensuring visibility across both digital and physical spaces.
To be truly effective, symbols should be easy for grassroots supporters to replicate, blending professionally produced materials with homemade creations. This mix ensures both clarity and authenticity, making participation feel accessible and inclusive.
Powerful symbols also bridge the gap between online activism and everyday life. They should be easy to reproduce, not just digitally but also through stencils, graffiti, or gestures. When people can engage with symbols in their daily routines, they become more than visuals—they transform into acts of solidarity.
Why it works
- Symbols cut through complexity. A single image can evoke emotions, trigger memories, and convey values far more efficiently than a dense paragraph of text..
- Symbols bridge online and offline. From memes to graffiti, symbols travel across platforms and streets, linking digital and physical action.
- Symbols turn ideas into identity. A shared image becomes a badge of belonging, building community around a cause.
- Symbols make participation visible. When people wear or display a symbol, they feel part of something—and others can see that sense of belonging.
How it works
1. Keep It Simple
In choosing a symbol it's important to find a clear visual representation that captures the essence of your idea and core values in an accessible manner, for the context in which it operates. Overcomplicating the kind of symbol you use can open the door for misunderstanding or, worse, misrepresentation.
2. Stay Innovative
Think out of the box when you are choosing a symbol. Focus on your more appealing and distinguishable proposals and think of an object that can represent them. The symbol is meant to transmit the core message and values to a larger (and not necessarily aligned) set of individuals. The chosen symbol must therefore have an unmistakable connection with the movement and the message you are hoping to transmit.
3. Go Local
When choosing and leveraging a symbol, it may be tempting to adopt existing and recognisable symbols that have been used in similar contexts or for similar causes. This can work, yet it is key to check whether it can really capture the imagination of the constituency the movement is looking to harness. If so, locally recognised and context-specific symbols may allow you to harness and mobilize your core demographic.
4. Use Symbols to Grow your Brand
Symbols are a key part of a movement's larger brand, and the greater visibility it gets, the more likely it is to grow. A symbol will add to brand recognition, making it easier for the movement to establish its identity and maintain a cohesive visual presence.
5. Iconic Presence
Use the symbol as the visually appealing centerpiece (it is the cherry on the top) on all your material (placards and signs, stickers, t-shirts, you name it). Use it to develop alliances and solidarity with other constituencies, including non-local groups. Convert the symbol from just a visual into an icon, a powerful emblem, one that cannot be ignored or forgotten.
6. Embody the Symbolism You Promote
Symbols are more than visuals—they represent your core values. To reinforce their meaning, you and your key representatives must embody what the symbol stands for. If you advocate for austerity, for example, avoid luxury and use public transport. If sustainability is key, bike and avoid plastic. This "show, not tell" approach ensures consistency and alignment, making your message much more credible.
Tips
A. Consistency and Repetition Builds Recognition
Consistency in symbol presentation is pivotal for recognition. But it is repetition that embeds it in the audience's consciousness. When it is coherently aligned with a cause, the symbol fosters unity and credibility, and holds particular significance during pivotal events, protests, or demonstrations, aiding bystander comprehension of the cause. Make sure to include the symbol in every situation possible.
B. A Proper Symbol Can Make the Regime Look Silly
A contemporary symbol often utilizes laughter, humor, and irony to compel the regime to confront a "dilemma action" with two choices: to either respond, thereby risking appearing silly or heavy-handed, or to refrain from responding, which only serves to bolster the movement's momentum further. By employing ridicule as a tactic, your movement can undermine the regime's authority in favor of your objectives.
Who's done it well?
Tunisia: The Jasmine Revolution
The Baguette
In 2010, a street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi self-immolated in the town of Sidi Bouzid after the police confiscated his cart and humiliated him. His act of desperation sparked widespread outrage and protests that led to the fall of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, an autocrat who had been in power for 23 years, in what became known as the Jasmine Revolution.
In those days of unrest, the baguette became a powerful symbol of the revolution. In a context of decades of marginalization, unemployment, and lack of political freedom, bread stood for the revolution's demand to live and eat, to provide for one's family.
Bread holds enormous significance in Tunisia, and baguettes, in particular, are present in every meal. Furthermore, colloquially, the word 'bread' equals 'work'. So, when protests against Ben Ali escalated, it was common to see protestors carrying and raising their baguettes as a symbol of the change that would bring work and dignity to the population.
During one demonstration, a camera captured a lone skinny man with a cigarette in his mouth on a main avenue, bravely pointing a baguette at the anti-riot police as if holding a machine gun. In the early days of globalized social networks, the photo became iconic and went viral. Soon, the man inspired a social media hero: Captain Khobza.
Captain Khobza wore a red Superman cape, a mask, and the traditional chechia hat. He had a cigarette dangling from his lips and carried a baguette everywhere he went. The animated cartoon's videos depicted a nonviolence promoter who used humor and satire. Soon, it became a sensation with more than 200,000 followers, and it was key in amplifying the revolutionary narrative both inside and outside of Tunisia.
"Bread, as a universal symbol of sustenance and survival, made the political message easily understandable and relatable. The simplicity of the baguette symbol helped convey and legitimize the fundamental nature of their demands for dignity, economic opportunity, and justice."
Slovenia: 8th of March Institute
Flowers to mobilize voters
In the lead-up to Slovenia's 2022 parliamentary elections, the 8th of March Institute (8MI) launched an ambitious Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaign aimed at sparking democratic change by boosting voter turnout.
Wary of the Institute's growing influence, and reflecting its increasingly authoritarian tendencies, the government of Janez Janša attempted to silence the effort. Authorities opened an investigation, accused the campaign of violating election laws, and tried to shut it down through legal intimidation.
In response, the 8MI turned to quiet, symbolic action. To mobilize early voters without explicitly invoking politics, they used a simple yet powerful tool: flowers. Volunteers distributed thousands of them across Slovenia, representing spring, renewal, and hope. It was a visual metaphor for change and a silent invitation to vote.
The flowers were more than symbols—they were a strategy. The 8MI tracked outreach by counting the number of flowers handed out, showing that even low-cost, non-verbal tools can be effective for both persuasion and assessment.
This gentle but determined tone helped reshape the mood of the final days before the election. Calm, value-driven, and grounded in shared purpose, the campaign inspired action at a critical moment. Turnout soared to 71%—Slovenia's highest since 1996 and an 18-point jump from 2018. The legal investigation was quietly dropped after the vote.
"When someone accepted the flower we offered, we didn't need to talk to them about democratic values, human rights, institutional independence, or social rights —the flowers spoke for themselves, reminding people of those shared ideals without a word."
Learn more
D-Hub Resources
- D-Hub. 2024. "The Triumph of the Outsider." The Fight for Democracy Chronicles, Volume 2.
Other Resources
- France 24. 2011. "Baguette-wielding superhero is Facebook sensation."
- Popovic, Srja. 2015. "Blueprint for Revolution."
- Whetstone Magazine. "The Tunisian Baguette Revolt"
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