Shocking Attention
Just too adept and clever by half is Benetton. Shock gets attention. And as the show business sage was once heard to remark, there is no bad publicity. Publicity is public attention. The public admires shock tactics, it certainly gets results. One remembers the name. And the name recalls the product. And then, the product sells.So there is no trick too egregiously alarming, socially offensive, ethically questionable to try out on the public. After all, this is not an age of modesty. Social mores have long expanded their welcome to include what would only a relatively short while ago have seemed offensive to many. Off limits in any event. Eliciting hushed tones of condemnation. Now, though, anything goes.
This is the age that respect has forgotten. Anything can be tried on for size. And that's fairly apt, given that the Italian clothier known for its shock images in advertising, flogs products that are worn and meant to be noticed. As different, as quality products. The label says it all. They have no fear of going where none have yet explored.
The president of the United States face-to-face with the president of China? Two political heavyweights whose countries are head-to-head in trade and the trade of power? Benetton hiding under their banner of extolling human relationships, of campaigning for 'unhate', as opposed to hateful attitudes.
Their sanctimonious innocence, at being taken aback at the backlash from those involved plays right into their court. Make a fuss about it, please do. Threaten, cajole, impress upon them the serious nature of their advertising assault on human sensibilities. Make a mockery of the divisions between politics and power, religion and its divisiveness.
Pope Benedict and the Vatican certainly have a legitimate point. It is sacrilegious to pair the two most powerful representatives of the two most influential religions in the world in a loving embrace. Christianity and Islam do not quite respect and hold each other in awe. There is an impressively long history of antipathy and violence that separates them from amity.
And given the persecution of Christians in the world of Islam, and the imprimatur of official religious sanction it receives, it is not too likely that the Pope, as representative of the largest religious group in the world, would be likely to exchange a conciliatory caress of endearment with his Muslim counterpart.
Labels: Communication, Corruption, Human Relations
posted by Pieface @ Friday, November 18, 2011
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