The Lure of War

 “War can never break free from the magical spectacle because its very purpose is to produce that spectacle”, wrote Paul Virilio in 1986 in his book War and Cinema: The Logistics of Perception, in which he explores the interdependence of warfare and image making technologies. Today, the spectacle of war expands across the web, penetrating the most intimate aspects of our lives and positioning us as its active users and participants. 

Violent images proliferate, yet, their power to bring justice—or to halt violence—seems to wane. We might be tempted to say that they no longer work. But what if they started working differently?

Focusing on Russians’ online recruitment campaigns in Ukraine and Europe, this lecture illustrates how advertising strategies are employed in war operations, turning conflict into a marketable solution for perceived customers’ “pains”. Meanwhile, images of violence are repurposed from testimonies of crimes to weaponized engagement hooks.