Taking on a subject matter that might seem mundane to most but expertly turning it around to become intriguing and infinitely more interesting, photographer Henry Hargreaves’s cell phones photo series expresses how some in the military choose to decorate their phones.
Paying homage to the soldiers of Vietnam who always had engraved Zippo lighters on them, the ‘War Phones’ series portrays how these good-luck charms have been modernly updated to phones.
Soldiers were forbidden from showcasing any personal feelings or statements on their uniforms so they used to carve their messages on their lighters. And now they’re doing it on their phones. "I was struck by how similar the feelings on those Zippos are to the sentiments of soldiers I’ve spoken with who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan," says Hargreaves about the cell phones photo series.
War Messages Photography
This Cell Phones Photo Series Portrays Engraved Military Messages
Trend Themes
1. Personalized Military Phones - The trend of soldiers customizing their phones with personalized messages for good luck presents an opportunity for phone accessories and customization industries to cater towards the military demographic.
2. Nostalgic Military Mementos - The trend of soldiers recreating past military traditions, such as engraved Zippo lighters, presents opportunities for companies to provide modernized versions of classic military mementos.
3. Emotional Expression in the Military - The trend of soldiers expressing their personal feelings and statements on their phones presents an opportunity for mental health services to focus on normalizing emotional expression within the military to cope with the stress of deployment and war.
Industry Implications
1. Phone Accessories - The military demographic presents a potential market for phone accessories companies to tailor towards personalized military phone cases and accessories.
2. Customization Services - Customization services can provide modernized versions of classic military mementos to appeal to the trend of soldiers recreating past military traditions.
3. Military Mental Health Services - An opportunity for mental health services to focus on facilitating emotional expression within the military to provide coping mechanisms for soldiers during deployment and war.