This article first appeared in AdNews in print (27 November). Click here to subscribe to the AdNews magazine to get it first. You can also get it immediately on the iPad.
Yet more controversy. I like controversy because at least that means there is a debate being had, but, it also suggests that someone, somewhere has cocked up, royally. This time, it was Amazon, which is pulling ads for its latest show that saw the New York subway decked out in Nazi-inspired imagery.
I think it’s fair to say that any brand or campaign using Nazi-inspired imagery was going to be fighting a losing battle against moral outrage. Yes, the book The Man in the High Castle (which I haven’t read but one of the AdNews team is passionate about), that is the basis of the ad made by Amazon Studios, is entirely grounded in a parallel universe where the Nazis won WWII. In that imagined world, the Third Reich’s emblem would be all over most public spaces. But, that premise when it lives in the pages of a book or within a TV program or movie is one thing, but presenting it an ad was a bold step too far.
As Prince Harry found out when he donned a Swastika for a Nazi dress-up costume a decade ago, most stunts involving Nazi references go down like a lead balloon.
When you have a situation in a city like New York, where 8.9% of the population is Jewish, (the highest percentage of any US state), covering the public transport system in Nazi-inspired imagery is likely to be seen in fairly poor taste and lead to an outcry. No surprises there.
I don't think there's a creative in the land who doesn't wish they could get bigger bolder ideas across the line more often. In our New Zealand Special Report on page 23, we talk to Aussie and Kiwi creatives about why bold creative ideas seem so rife across the ditch but so rare here. That said, Amazon's effort in the US is one of those times where a big bold brave idea fell down. Badly.
From that, to other recent controversies. Namely the issue of female creatives – or lack thereof – in agencies.
To move beyond the finger-pointing that other trade media have busied themselves with, AdNews has worked with SheSays over the past weeks to talk with senior female creatives to look at what action can be taken.
There were a great many women in agencies who spoke to us about some of their experiences on the grounds of anonymity for fear of being branded “feminist troublemakers”.
That alone should worry you. You can read about the gender bias debate on page 10.
This is the final issue of AdNews for the year. We still have The Annual to come – our end of year spectacular which once again features the Photo Essay, Media Rants and Top Tens and will see the return of Mock Briefs after a hiatus of a few years.
It's not too late to support AdNews by advertising in The Annual’s glossy pages. Go forth and support the trade mag that supports your industry.
This article first appeared in AdNews in print (27 November). Click here to subscribe to the AdNews magazine to get it first. You can also get it immediately on the iPad.