I noticed this billboard in the Zurich main train station. Call me racist, but I have issues when a department store uses skinny, mostly white models balancing crap on their heads for a “Feel Africa” campaign. Click “vorwärts blättern to flip through the whole thing on the Manor site.
I know what you’re going to say: “Rash, you would have had problems if Manor had used black models.”
Not necessarily. I just have some issues with the campaign. I can’t put them into an intelligent, debatable treatise, but they are there. Yes, there are white folks in Africa, I know that. But, when I think of African beauty, Charlize Theron doesn’t come to my mind.
Sorry.
Comments (14)
My question would be why is everyone wearing bags on their heads? I know African woman do carry items on their heads, leaving their hands free to do or carry other things, but for fashion shots? I can’t see it.
Exactly. Maybe I’m thinking too much, but what are these people trying to say with this? What is the psychology behind it?
We’re on mainland Europe. Didn’t you get the memo that advertising only has white people, no matter what the product is?
Joking aside, it really bothers me too. There’s all kinds of ads for Asian lifestyle things here (in Germany) but you’ll never find an Asian in the pictures.
That’s a con of living here. Never seeing anyone like yourself in any advertising.
P.S. Rashunda, I don’t think they’re trying to say anything with it. I’d bet it never even *occured* to those ad execs to use anyone other than a white model for the ads.
That’s the psychology behind it that keeps me up at night getting angry.
Beth, you hit the nail on the head. It’s like the ad folks are lemmings.
Probably the ad folks are not as much lemmings themselves, but they certainly use lemming mechanics. They are using known statistics that the average buyer reacts much better on particular stereotypical advertisings. These stereotypes are not only used but reinforced by perpetuating them. The perceived “truth” value of ANY statement increases by simple repetition, for example. These ad-stereotypes are more likely to cause increased revenues than any other type of advertising; only careful surprises can help increasing income. So you are likely looking at the human mechanics of “rat catching” or the “making of lemmings”. - The focus on “African looking products / stuff” with a striking absence of African people could be indicative of some form of materialistic colonialism. You can go to Manor.CH and download their “Feel Africa Screensaver”. - While they have one or two lightskinned black women, there are no black men in that ad campaign. - - Whatever they want you to feel, it sure isn’t Africa, only their products. Colonial style.
in addition to what has already been mentioned by you all, what really got me was the flip flop on the head and the belt on the head. wt_?
Rash! I totally understand your point of view. I’m glad I do not live in Zurich because I’d have to get myself a mega-phone and stand on a milk crate in the middle of town preaching about the atrocities of racism in marketing.
I have a real problem with that picture. There are so many beautiful African women, what the hell did they choose some skinny white chicks on a lentil diet.
… pause…
My blood pressure just went up. Silly me, I do not know why I’m getting worked up. It is all part of the way the world works. African women have pots on their heads and Black American women are all single mothers, over weight Aunt Jemima that like to frequent the beauty shop and watch Jerry Springer.
The next life time, I want to be born into a racial utopia because this perpetual racism bullshyte (in every nation) is grating on my last nerves. LOL!
If it were “Feel Native America,” the models would all have on war paint.
“Feel Inuit” - igloos would be involved somehow.
I suppose “Feel Switzerland” would have them all in lederhosen.
Karen - Nah, for “Feel Switzerland” they’d have blue eyeshadow and flyback hair styles. For guys, thick moustaches and mullets.
Hello Rash
I’m from switzerland and got on your website, because I was confused by the manor-campaign too. But it wasn’t confused by the white models that stand for “feel africa” (although I absolutely understand your point).
My point is: Why the fuck does manor use the slogan “feel africa” at all? I mean: the african feeling is not at all about carrying things on heads or something. There’s death and hunger, children are dying. “Feel africa” hurts every sense of respect I know.
“Feel africa” is no fucking dress-style. It’s reality. And not a beautiful one.
I hope, you understood, what I tried to say (bad school-english, bad school-english…) and wish you a nice day.
Hi Renato,
Your English isn’t bad at all! It’s a heck of a lot better than my German. I completely understand your point. What exactly does “feel Africa” mean? That’s something that I didn’t understand either. But, maybe the advertising isn’t directed toward people who think about it.
Hi Rash
You’re right. And I think, I don’t tell you new things when I say that there are too few people who think about things like that. The advertising is directed at people that just want to buy. That’s all. They don’t care about “feel africa” in the real sense. They read “feel africa” and see those beautiful models and think they will feel african after buying a cup “african style”. Cultural intercourse with dish…
I want all of them flying to africa and feeding a starving african child and knowing, what “feel africa” really means.
The sad thing about the whole discussion is that they will call you a worldimprover, but in a bad sense and in a ridicoulus way. They laugh at you because of that.
I’m glad, that there ARE people who THINK, like you and the other members of that forum. And I’m glad that you understand my english ;)
Manor, in the meantime, dropped their advertising. Their website has no “feel Africa” any more.
Globus currentlhy has the “Passage to India” “MUMBAI” thing going. From their description, we read: “..selected passage to the Indian elegance, sensuality and joy of life: [..] objects for cosmopolitical savoir-vivre [..] enjoyment”.
Quite obviously, the focus is on objects rather than people, the focus is on sales rather than reflection, and the focus is on exploiting a culture for both rather than anything else.
This, in essence, IS “colonial style”. To snatch stuff to sell, that’s what colonies were there for. Seems like some people still believe India or Africa are. Only back in the old times, exploits were an acknowledged feat for bad or for worse, whereas today you can’t even get them to give you a straight answer.