Controversial Advertising

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dust
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by dust »

They're not trying to sell clothes, they are trying to build a brand. The idea is to socially and politically make a commentary through their advertising and marketing.

Benetton has always done this since their inception. Their whole ethos is supposedly around the idea of 'United' colors of skin around the world and tolerance and respect for diversity.

Their product is purposefully missing from their advertisements. They are hoping that by developing a brand that stands for something, their product would become one of its attributes. And when people buy their clothes, they are also buying into what the brand stands for.

The company publishes Colors magazine, which goes even farther with its political and social commentary. They highlight campaigns around the world working in conjunction with the UN and various aid agencies to build information and awareness about a variety of social issues such as famine, Aids and poverty.

I think they're a really interesting company, sure they are trying to make a buck, every company is, but at least they try to stand for something and create discussion and controversy through their communication and they do generally practice what they preach, which instantly makes them stand head and shoulders above most fashion labels and brands.

(ps. sorry for my lack of U's, i've been living in America, they don't believe in the use of the letter U)

(pps. yes. I do work for a branding agency :retzielikes: )
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by Lizkins »

interesting, thanks G! Especially about other things Benetton are doing. But unless you had just said all that, i would never have known, unless i went to look for more information about it and why they were doing that advertising, and i would not always do that. So this advertising can and could be easily missed on many people as just being heartless and out for extra cash at whatever expense.
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Sociopathic
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by Sociopathic »

Ok This isn't really controversial but I didn't want to start a new thread just to ask for some opinions.
This is on behalf of an aquaitence.

With this ad, you need to pretend that this is already a well known brand of outdoor gear specialising in backpacks.
What do you think?
Image
some of the responses he's gotten thus far are
"I really hate that ad. I'm a hiker and I find it disrespectful to the wildlife."
"i'm not a big fan of the "conquering nature" concept. when i go out...to hike, camp, whatever, it's more about being in harmony with it."
"wtf does that have to do with backpacks"
Others have been more picky about things like changing it from tundra to something geographically specific and others have thought it's quite good.
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nic
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by nic »

BROWN
A LOT OF BROWN
BROWN
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youthful_implants
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by youthful_implants »

all caps is a definite no no
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Sociopathic
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by Sociopathic »

youthful_implants wrote:all caps is a definite no no
Thanks, He's still studying so any constructive feed back is great.
and yes nic it is brown lots of brown. I'm assuming from that comment you don't like the lots of brown?
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same o
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by same o »

if you hadn't told me it had something to do with back packs, i honestly wouldn't of picked it. it is kind of cliché and the single minded proposition of the ad itself is not clear at all. i get it, but the execution is kind of poor, there is also no punctuation so i have to read it very fast
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CoB
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by CoB »

i thought it was an ad for fur coats..
saying "you would wear one too if you killed it!!!"

ps, the lack of punctuation makes me punctuate wherever i like...
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Sociopathic
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by Sociopathic »

SameO the same could be said though if you've never heard of northface.

That's why I said you need to pretend it's an already well known brand.
Most people have heard of northface so things like this
Image
You already know what northface sell. If you didn't know what they would sell you could think maybe they were a travel company.

It's for a class.

I'm not 100% sure if he's checking here cause I told him about putting it to here cause you guys know about this stuff but I'll def pass on the info :-D
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nic
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by nic »

oh its outdoors
k so lets make it bronw like the human poo i bury in the brown dirt
maybe some white accents to represent the bit of toilet paper stickinh out of the dirt

:?:
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by witty_pseudonym »

too long, too brown, too far fetched.
the north face slogan has a more philosophical bent, whereas your mate's just sounds a bit silly and farcical...like a teenager bragging about boning the hottest chick in school behind the shelter shed, when all that happened was she glanced in his direction. or something like that.

(i think i may have just had a liz moment. lol.)
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by nic »

A PRO WOMANIST MOMENTO?
:lol:

i feel subjugated by the fmeale raec today
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CoB
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by CoB »

uhuu
it happens
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youthful_implants
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by youthful_implants »

Call me old fashioned but I like pictures. The north face ad is nice because it has colour and looks exciting.

If your mate can combine whatever his message is, with a picture of something exciting, I think he may score highly.

What he doesn't want, is to resemble a Rivers commercial......because they are wack.
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CoB
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by CoB »

yeh, well rivers are aiming for looking cheap, so you think their product is good, but they spend money on product not advertising...

but yeh if there was even just a bleak tundra type scene, all you can see is ice...

ps. that would probably be a polar bear... so... wow, that actually makes it much worse!!! killing polar bears..
i guess he made it brown to trick your brain into thinking it was a grizzly or black bear or something...
maybe change the word tundra... that would be the easiest way, or change it from bear to seal...

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same o
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by same o »

Sociopathic wrote: SameO the same could be said though if you've never heard of northface.

That's why I said you need to pretend it's an already well known brand.
Most people have heard of northface so things like this

Image
I was pretending it was an already known brand and it made no sense. Why would an ad about backpacks talk about being on the tundra and killing bears?? Are the bags made from bears?? is bear grills the ambassador?

While yes I may think that the Northface one is for a travel company if I didn't know what they sold, at least it makes sense when I know what they sell.

Image

This makes no sense, it is trying to be clever and funny and completely misses the mark. At the end of the day it is a piece of communication that is trying to sell something, if you can't work out what it is selling then it is completely lost. The best way to get good ideas is to have yours completely trashed and shat on. Tell your mate to go back to the drawing board, he/she might be on the path to something good, but the execution on this is pretty bad..

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aroes
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by aroes »

it says bear and bare
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JAMESSSS
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by JAMESSSS »

This ad really confuses me.
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CoB
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by CoB »

also i guess he is going for a "rugged" sort of look, so the non-justified text seems like a good idea, but when only 1 word is kind of out, it makes it seem more wrong, so maybe try to grab each line seperately and move them around a bit to make it seem more "rugged" or, conversely, just justify that shit...
ug.. the main bit seems left align then a centre at the bottom.. that might also annoy

the more i look at it the more i hate it...
i should leave this thread, but it is the only active one damni!!!
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by nic »

what a grate discussion IMO
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CoB
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by CoB »

mostly i am bitter cos i give up to easily on things i like...
let myself get carried away by a full time job that is shit...
havent done any design type things in a while, maybe i should start again...
even just things for art sake more than advertising sake...
that sounds fun...
*stares blankly into the distance*
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retzie
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by retzie »

Fucken lol at CoB justification rage :lol:

Yeah, not feeling the man-vibe of it. It's only a step away from "I didn't know whether to kill it, fuck it or eat it." Which would go well with a pic of a dude looking at the backpack tbh.

All the guy-hiker types I've ever met have been fairly nerdy/hippy, so I'm not seeing the target market digging the machismo. I doubt the fact it comes off as American would help much either.

Suggestions: summat Australian/NZ, outdoor pursuit with cred, hand off it.


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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by quiet roar »

Sociopathic wrote:I'm assuming from that comment you don't like the lots of brown?
I'd say nobody likes that much brown.
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retzie
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by retzie »

Oh, and...
CoB wrote:mostly i am bitter cos i give up to easily on things i like...
let myself get carried away by a full time job that is shit...
havent done any design type things in a while, maybe i should start again...
even just things for art sake more than advertising sake...
that sounds fun...
*stares blankly into the distance*
Could you has this??
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by Sociopathic »

retzie wrote: I doubt the fact it comes off as American would help much either.
He is American, Studying in America :-)

Thanks guys, he has been reading in here and has been taking on board what you guys are saying.
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by retzie »

Sociopathic wrote:He is American, Studying in America :-)
Aha. He should deftotes go with "I didn't know whether to kill it, fuck it or eat it" then :teef:
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by youthful_implants »

:lol:
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by cammo »

my pet hate, fashion labels making money off graffiti. a act that does not agree with advertising n money making bullshit
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Re: Controversial Advertising

Post by FoundationStepper »

Watch the posted video on YouTube.

for some reason this comes to mind when I see that sort of graf appropriation - blondie rap...

love the chanel 80's fluro proto-throwup look
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