So basically the assignment was to find an advertisement that FAILED.
I remember seeing two very prominent ads in the past that I couldn't forget.
The first would be the Nivea's re-civilize ad:
Things that have gone wrong?
That //white// male is holding the head of a //black// male and it about to toss it sky high! What does that say about racism? The tag lines "Re-civilize yourself" and "Look like you give a damn" doesn't help either.
The second would be the Playstation portable (PSP) White console ad:
This would be another racist ad. By the composition and idea portrayed by this ad I get the indication that they're trying to say white is superior than black. This could also date back to history when the black people were slaves to the white's. To me it is highly OFFENSIVE although I personally love Play Station, just not this particular ad.
In the end I decided to go with the Nivea ad.
Here was the rationale I wrote for it:
" I remember seeing this advertisement a long time ago when
visiting a site. It’s a Nivea advertisement
showing a white male throwing the head of a black male with an afro with
a tagline that said “Re-civilize yourself”. Just by a glance I noticed the
racism implied in this advertisement.
The message the Nivea crew were trying to get out was “your face would
be cleanly shaven and you wouldn’t have that dirty rugged look anymore”.
Culture-wise this is very offensive to other races, especially with that
tagline “Re-civilize yourself”, were they trying to imply non-white people are
not as civilized as them? That was the impression I got when I saw this
advertisement. If I were to fix this ad,
I’d show a man with half shaved face and the other half all rugged with a dirty
beard. In that case the impact wouldn’t be nearly as offensive and the message
would be clear. "
More information about nivea:
It is a company that manufactures skin and beauty products. Their main concern is to make products that can enhance the state of one's skin and hair. Now about that particular advert, it was advertising for haircare. The product was supposed to enhance the hair condition, peel off your old dirty hair in metamorphosis to clean smooth hair. This line of products also includes substance for facial hair as well.
They were going to advertise:
"Early starts, busy days and long nights can leave skin noticeably tired,
dull and stressed out - but help is at hand. The NIVEA FOR MEN Skin
Energy range with improved formula and skin’s own coenzyme Q10 for all
your skincare needs. "
List of the products:
REVITALIZING LOTION Q10 SPF 15
Specially formulated for men, Revitalizing Lotion Q10 revitalizes, moisturizes, and protects tired, stressed skin.
- Enriched with skin’s own Coenzyme Q10 to helps maintain skin’s vitality and elasticity
- SPF 15 helps protect against damage caused by UV rays
- Skin is left looking healthy, fresh and fit
- Dermatologist tested.
Energy Face Care Gel Moisturizer is a unique gel
moisturizer that wakes up the skin with an instant shot of Q10
revitalizing energy. It's light, non-greasy formula works to refresh and
nourish tired skin.
Q10 REVITALIZING DOUBLE ACTION BALM
The innovative light, fast absorbing formula with Coenzyme Q10 & soothing Chamomile:
- Soothes the skin after shaving
- Supplies whole face with 24h moisture and energizes skin
- Close and comfortable shave
- Energizes skin while shaving
Energy After Shave Splash revitalizes and nourishes
the skin after shaving. This unique formula pairs NIVEA skincare
technology with a light, masculine scent.
ENERGY EYE ROLLER GEL
Energy eye roller gel works hard to revitalize tired skin
around the eye area, so skin looks healthy and feels smooth and
refreshed. So even after a night out on the town or a long day at the
office, skin looks and feels refreshed. The gel formula absorbs quickly
without leaving a greasy residue
In my opinion they should have EMPHASIZED on these particular characteristics
Reference:
-Komal Puri
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