Are advertisers responsible for gun crime?
Posted in Advertising, Media, Design, Mel Varley, Latest reporters' blogs March 14th, 2008 by Melinda Varley
Outdoor media owner JC Decaux has banned the advertising of the latest James album on its billboards because the cover depicts a baby with a gun. I didn’t think advertisers really cared about such things.
Advertisers have often been described as the big bad wolf when it comes to selling a product – they will say anything to get you out of your money and increase sales.
But JC Decaux is taking a step to fixing the industry that is fuelled by money. In fact, you could almost call it a noble step, after all, gun crime is now a serious problem within the UK, especially among children.
Home Office figure show there has been a three per cent rise in gun crime over the past year, following a 2 per cent rise in 2006 with a total of 70 fatalities 70, 430 serious injuries and a total of 10,590 firearms offences.
The advertising industry has been continuously blamed for the UK’s obesity problem so why not blame them for gun crime?
While there are no ads for guns, many ads do feature them, whether they glorify them or not. Take a look at any number of movie posters or trailers.
JC Decaux decision to not allow the James CD cover be advertised on its sites proves that the ‘gun’ debate and the responsibility of advertisers is a hot topic and someone has to do something about it.
Darren Hughes, creative head at the agency Love that created the album cover said that the idea behind the cover was to show the “boldness and curiosity” of gun culture “to engage in the debate” and raises the question ‘what has brought our country to be so taken with guns.’
Perhaps this is not a question to be answered by an 80s has-been band, but its quite endearing that it has brought the issue to our attention. So will the responsibility fall on the shoulders of advertisers just like the obesity debate?
To read the related news story click here to visit mad.co.uk
(2)
(0)
Tags JC Decaux, Outdoor Advertising, Guns, LOVE
(2)
bee’s comment is....
Anything can be a weapon - in this instance the baby is looking at the gun, but the blocks and the words have just as much power to “destroy” or “create.” What happens next ultimately always goes back to the individual - the baby.
Posted March 14th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Branwell Johnson’s comment is....
Goldie Lookin’ Chain wrote a satirical song Guns Don’t Kill People, Rappers Do. Lyrics below. Pertinent to the debate, don’t you think?
Guns don’t kill people rappers do,
Ask any politican and they’ll tell you its true,
Its a fact music makes you violent,
Like Michael Jackson telling little Timmy to be silent,
You don’t believe me? Heres my hype,
Offer me the record and i’ll show you the type,
Of criminal this rap shit is breedin,
Its a fact that MC Hammer left me bleedin,
Goes on into very rude words…
Posted March 18th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Your comment is....
You must be logged in to post a comment.
madcomments encourages comments to be short and to the point. Comments should show a courteous regard for the presence of other voices in the discussion. We reserve the right to edit or delete comments that do not adhere to this standard.
- Advertising (192)
- Arif Durrani (50)
- Branwell Johnson (104)
- Creative (53)
- Design (12)
- Digital (97)
- Direct Marketing (13)
- General (135)
- Jim Prior (2)
- Latest reporters’ blogs (347)
- Lucy Tesseras (15)
- Marketing (198)
- Media (210)
- Mel Varley (108)
- Nikki Preston (47)
- Oliver Milman (43)
- Russell Parsons (13)
- Stuart Aitken (1)
