Transcript Selling Multiculturalism to the Masses: visual language

Anti-Racism Advertising
EUPRIO 2004
Communicating Across Cultures
Dr Biljana Scott
DiploFoundation/University of Oxford
Anti-Racism Advertising: Introduction
• Premise:
potential for conflict between plurality and
cohesion; between multiculturalism and national
unity.
• Evidence: racial/religious discrimination.
• Solution: the promotion of a super-category
which contains diverse sub-categories within it:
a multicultural national identity.
Anti-Racism Advertising: Introduction
Definitions of
‘multiculturalism’/ cultural pluralism:
• A term describing a state of affairs:
– the coexistence of many cultures in a locality,
without any one culture dominating the region.
• A term describing a policy:
– To encourage all nationals to integrate into their society and take
an active part in its social, cultural, economic and political
affairs
– To encourage racial and ethnic harmony and cross-cultural
understanding, and discourage ghettoization, hatred,
discrimination and violence.
Anti-Racism Advertising: Introduction
Means: social ads / Public Service Ads (PSAs)
AD COUNCIL MISSION
Our mission is to identify a select number
of significant public issues and stimulate actions
on those issues through communications programs
that make a measurable difference in our societies.
Anti-Racism Advertising: Introduction
Racial Cooperation
http://www.adcouncil.org/issues/antidiscrimination/
‘I am an American’ post 9/11 campaign
E Pluribus Unum, or Out of Many, One.
From the nation's original creed rises a message that has
never been more appropriate than now… that
diversity unites America, and that in the wake of this
national tragedy, now is the time to embrace and
celebrate that diversity instead of letting it divide us.
Anti-Racism Advertising: Introduction
http://www.cre.gov.uk/
The unique faces of Britain poster campaign celebrates
and encourages recognition of ethnic diversity in this
country. It acknowledges modern Britain for what it is - a
fascinating multicultural, multi-racial, multi-faith nation
Anti-Racism Advertising: Introduction
http://www.onescotland.com
Through this campaign we are stating clearly and loudly
that there is no place for racism in Scotland. Unless we
rid ourselves of prejudice and discrimination, our pursuit
of social justice, equality of opportunity, and economic
prosperity will be seriously compromised.
Anti-Racism Advertising: Introduction
http://knowracism.ie/index.html
Know Racism is a three year programme which aims to
contribute to creating the conditions for building
an inclusive and intercultural society in Ireland, where
racism is addressed and cultural diversity is valued.
Anti-Racism Advertising: Introduction
• Issues:
– Creativity
– Advertiser
– Branding
– Target audience
– The ‘backfire effect’
– Double standards
Anti-Racism Advertising: Introduction
• Creativity:
– Literalisation (1)
– Double-takes (2)
– Empathy
(3)
The Unique faces of:
LONDON
SOUTHAMPTON
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 1
I am an American
By showing people of many ages, races, and religions
saying the simple yet powerful line "I am an American,"
the advertising communicates the idea that our differences
equal the very foundation and spirit of this nation.
http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/I_am_an_American/
503 photographs
68 countries
2 million submissions
“The Family of Man
has been created in a
passionate spirit of
devoted love and faith
in man.
It was conceived as a
mirror of the essential
oneness of mankind
throughout the world.”
Edward Steichen, curator,
1955.
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2 / advertiser
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2 /Advertiser
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
Tug of war
Vox Pop
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
We all came over in different ships,
but we’re in the same boat now.
Our origins, skin colors or religions may be different
But our hearts are all in the same place.
Please show tolerance for your fellow Americans
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 1
Benetton Campaign, spring-summer 1997
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
AMERICANS STAND UNITED
Will hate bring it all back? Will it
bring back the innocence? The
sense of security? … Will hate
make us better than those who
hate us?…
Hate is our enemy, and when
we start to hate other Americans
we have lost everything. Hate has
taken enough from us already.
Don’t let it take you.
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
The Freedom Center's mission is to inspire people to speak
up in the face of injustice and for the spirit of freedom.
http://www.freedomcenter.org/
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
Imagine what we can do, together, today.
Imagine ... the power of one voice.
The Interview
Why?
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 2
Anti-Racism Advertising: Creativity 3
You have just had the chance
to feel the way many
foreigners in Norway feel.
Hatred has many faces.
http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=7888
Benetton advertising campaigns
Anti-Racism Advertising: Recap
• Issues:
– Creativity
– Advertiser
– Branding
– Target audience
– The ‘backfire effect’
– Double standards
Anti-Racism Advertising: Advertiser
Commercial & Government ads: similarities
• Oversimplification:
- Racial identity reduced to skin colour
- Nationalism reduced to patriotism.
• Adamism / a-historicism:
- decontextualising effect of photogrpahy
- shortcomings of humanism.
“There is but one man in the world, and his name is All Men”.
• Commodification:
- Multiculturalism on sale, something to buy/own… to brand
Anti-Racism Advertising: Branding
BRANDING signals the shift from selling products to
selling concepts, values, lifestyles and even ideologies.
To show a product is banal. To associate a product with
a concept and show that, is clever marketing.
Commodification of Nations:
“We are selling a product. We need someone who can
rebrand American foreign policy, rebrand diplomacy.”
(Colin Powell)
Naomi Klein, America is not a Hamburger, Guardian, 2002.
Anti-Racism Advertising: Branding
QUESTIONS:
(1) To what extent have issues such as multiculturalism been
turned into brand names for the sake of commercial profit?
(2) To what extent has multiculturalism been used politically
for its brand appeal?
(3) If branding creates a one-way glossy irrefutable message,
doesn’t this contradict the basic tenet of multiculturalism:
intercommunication?
Anti-Racism Advertising: other issues
Remaining issues:
•Target audience: global or national? Minorities?
•Backfire effect: don’t knows have prejudices confirmed
Cardiff research: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-12/esr-haa120902.php
•Double standards: institutional racism; immigration
policies; citizenship requirements … and branding!