Was the percentage rounded off?
(Courtesy of muirneg-onelife.blogspot.com)
This ad campaign from a local clothing store caught my attention yesterday from my Facebook News Feed. I have treated advertisements as a gauge of (what advertising companies think is) the pulse of consumers and what they find appealing, and this is no exception to the general conclusion I have observed for quite some time now: having foreign lineage assures you of a career in local advertising campaigns.
One can argue that there is no "pure race", but this campaign had an accompanying text that raised more uhhh... moments than made the intention clear.
Eugenics, the ad version.
(Courtesy of muirneg-onelife.blogspot.com)
It starts out by asking what your mix is. Personally, I have been mistaken for Chinese and Japanese, but there is no doubt what my nationality is.
It then talks about "mixing and matching", with both nationalities and fashion pieces in the same category.
Most days I wear my black pair of jeans, but sometimes I will choose my white jogging pants for a day that will be "sporty". Is this what the ad agency had in mind for "mixing nationalities"? What if I wasn't happy with the "result"? Should one keep searching to find "the right blend"? Does this mean I also get to have a different "match" during the day and a completely different one for the night, the way I would change my getup based on the time of day?
The next statement was "mixing...with Filipino blood is almost a sure formula for someone beautiful and world class."
What would be the reverse statement for this then? That is if there is no "mix", if one was a 100% "pure" Filipino, the resulting equation is someone hideous and lacking "world class"?
The ad goes on to say that "Having Filipino lineage is definitely something to be proud of", without expounding on why this is supposed to be stated as a fact. And it runs counter to their extolling the virtues of "mixing" with "different nationalities" earlier.
The neurosis continues when they ask people to BUY FILIPINO, while having models who, by their own admission - with specific percentages to back it up - are anything but 100% Filipino.
I don't need a headache this early in the morning.
It is also stated that "this campaign is also just about having fun creating your own look in accordance to your mood and present state of mind", there was no statement that one should wear clothes by "mixing and matching with both nationalities and fashion pieces". The first paragraph of mixed race was there to justify that "mixing" comes with a good result. As a Filipio, I was never offended with the ad. Maybe you misunderstood the ad, or maybe it was just a bad morning.
ReplyDeletepoor delivery imo. could have been better if they said 100% filipino is world class and makes everyone 100% proud.
ReplyDeleteno calculations needed, right? ;) but i just agree somehow cause they just get products now from thailand. which is quite disappointing, I bought a P700 worth of shirt at Bayo and found the same shirt at 168 mall for only P300 T_T
Wow. Somewhere in hell, Nazi Germany must be rolling on the ground.
ReplyDeleteI agree with. It was a bad writing for ad campaign.,,, i love your article on Miriam! Kudos!
ReplyDeletewhat a stupid ad. whoever conceptualized that needs a lobotomy.
ReplyDelete