Somewhere Out There: The Power of Brands to Act as Virtual Proxies Signifying Safety and Representing Home During Intense Risk-Filled Separations

There are about 1,400,000 active military personnel across all branches: 103,000 are “afloat” and 297,000 are installed in foreign countries (US Census 2012, Table 509). All are in a state of risk filled separation. All communicate with families and friends. All seek to bridge the distance between themselves and loved ones. During separation, co-creating home and signaling proximity can bolster both deployed soldiers and family and friends who remain at home. Our research focuses on how home is enacted and consumed during family separation and how proximity is signaled. Our context heightens the importance of maintaining connections to home since deployment often involves the risk of bodily injury.