Walking through the city of Melbourne, Australia, this last weekend I came across a massive rally in which 2000 Chinese protesters called for an end to violence in Tibet, and for an end to media distortion. Red banners had the words, "Tibet was, is and always will be part of China" emblazoned in yellow print. What caught my eye was the couple who carried billboards saying "Respect Truth" and "Respect China". See my article with photos at Chinese Protest over Tibet.
With the build up to the Beijing Olympics this year, there are a growing number of advertising professionals who are finding themselves caught up in this tension between patriotism and activism. The public, in many countries, will be facing choices relating to participation in a global movement and seeking truth about the welfare of people whose fate is normally hidden.
180/TBWA China is rolling out an Adidas campaign to inspire the Chinese people to get behind their athletes, using the familiar phrase, "Impossible is Nothing." Individual athletes, well known for their prowess in soccer, diving, basketball and volleyball, are shown as expressions and extensions of the Chinese people as a whole. The greatness of one is the greatness of all. The unspoken message, of course, is that Adidas is an integral part of the success of the Chinese athletic community. See the print campaign: Impossible is Nothing in China.
Saatchi & Saatchi Belgium has challenged the public to think seriously about the future of the Olympics with their print advertising campaign for Gent University. The print advertisement that caught the attention of the International Olympics Committee showed the Olympics rings and the colours of Darfur, with the simple phrases "Darfur 2020" and "Durf Denken" (Dare to Think). Was the concept unthinkable? What kind of international cooperation, including China, would be needed to address human rights abuses in Sudan? Regardless of the politics, international relations and structural issues involved, the ad was not allowed to run due to its unauthorised use of the Olympic rings. See the withdrawn ad along with earlier work from the same campaign: Dare to Think in Belgium.
MUW Saatchi & Saatchi, Slovakia, has produced a campaign for Amnesty International raising questions of humans rights abuses in association with the Olympics. Three print advertisements show victims of institutional abuse in the context of the Olympic sports of wrestling, boxing and shooting. "In the name of ensuring stability and harmony in the country during the 2008 Olympic Games, the Chinese Government continues to detain and harass political activists, journalists, lawyers and human rights workers." See the campaign China is getting ready for Amnesty International.
The issues raised in these campaigns can be found in any context in which the welfare of individuals, communities and environments are held in tension with the demands of corporate and national institutions. There is more than one side to the issues surrounding Japanese whaling in the Antarctic, the USA presence in Iraq, and the status of women in fundamentalist Muslim countries.
Where would you draw the line? Would you stay with the safety of established brands and national identity? Would you make bold assertions about the abusive actions of another country?
Marketing is a crucial ingredient in the development of a shared sense of community. However I believe advertising in this field needs to challenge people to think and inquire, rather than rapidly make judgements about those who are different. Informed participation must be worth more than blind prejudice.
