Sugar Cube Propaganda

The sugar cube story is a historical example of propaganda in Iran during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah. When Belgian sugar cubes entered the Iranian market, local sugar suppliers saw them as a threat. To eliminate competition, they bribed a religious leader to declare Belgian sugar "haram" (forbidden) under Islamic law. This false claim spread by word of mouth, causing people to stop buying Belgian sugar and ultimately leading to the factory’s failure.

For my project, I reimagined this story using visual propaganda. Since no visual materials were originally used, I created posters that could have been used to manipulate public perception. These posters employ fear-based imagery, bold typography, and emotional messaging to demonstrate how visual arts can enhance the persuasive power of propaganda.