Unbelievably racist ad via South Africa.
(click ad, via) An ad for matches, for chrissake. This appears to be a real ad, part of a new campaign by Y&R Johannesburg. From the agency press note: "As the layers of attempted conversation starters are rejected they are literally struck from the page, leaving the same mark as a struck match would. We incorporated the same style into the linear illustrations to make them appear that they had been drawn by a match."OK, but that doesn't explain why the black man in this ad isn't beating the living shit out of cartoonishly-insensitive white boy. Playing angel's advocate, I guess you could argue that this ad is trying (horribly) to "strike" a blow against racism. But I don't think a match company should be taking up that cause in its advertising. Previous racist South African ad: Apartheid humor used to sell bronzer.
posted by copyranter @ 8:30 AM
8 Comments:
I don't agree that this is racist at all. It is trying (rather unsuccessfully) to play on social paranoia that some white people have regarding talking to someone from a different race and trying to avoid social stereotypes as a conversation starter. Q: If they did the reverse add where the black guy was thinking 'Invade any foreign lands recently whitey?' or 'How does it feel to have a small penis?' then would that be racist? No.
Still a crap advert though..
Doesn't feel racist to me. If it reflects a genuine truth, then get it out there. I think it's brave. But then I'm as white as a polar bear's balls, so maybe I'm not in the best place to judge.
Prove it, Sir John, we want a picture!
I usually agree with way too much of what you say, Mr Copyranter,but on this occasion? I'm not so sure.
I think the ad rather honest and sticks a pin in Whitey sycophancy. But then, I am probably even Whiter than Sir John Hegarty (if it is he.)
I went to a U2 concert in Cape Town, as a gauge of my Whitey-ness.
If anyone wants more, I posted on this: http://hurricanevanessa.com/is-this-lion-matches-ad-uneblievably-racist-help-me-out/
Why do you feel that a match company should NOT be taking up that cause in its advertising?
Because they're a match company, not the UN.
this could just as easily be an ad for a beer? two guys, uncomfortable at meeting, not sure what their commonalities are, finally getting to basics - let's have a beer together. next scene - they are best friends!
in new yawk, it would be 'hey, how about them yankees?'.
I-)
I don't think this ad is racist at all. Kinda funny actually. It would be interesting to see if it was written by a black person or white person. They could probably make a campaign out of this.
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