There's been a spike in advertising-related complaints during the past few months in Fiji. As traditional "offline" advertising now accounts for between 30-40% of Oceanic's yearly revenues, it's something that I have an opinion about. [Actually, I pretty much have an opinion about everything. I think it comes with my American passport.]
The complaints peaked last week when I received a copy of a letter from the
Fiji Media Watch. The letter itself is addressed to
Connect, the Internet Service Provider and references a recent campaign of theirs, but the file and email was sent to the attention of a number of the larger agencies in the country as well as some government people and women's rights NGOs.
The letter is not up on their website so I've provided a copy here:
I should first write that the Fiji Media Watch is correct in their right to call attention to any issue which they believe impacts local media communications. In fact, according to their website, the organisation was formed due to what was considered "offensive" public advertising back in 1993. I don't know which particular ads were the impetus for the FMW from starting up but since it was 15 years ago, it's probably safe to say the same ads might be considered tame by today's standards.
First, below is the web version of Connect's ad campaign in question. [I've blocked out the model's identity for impact, dramatic effect and an overly self-inflated perception that this blog is at all relevant in the larger scheme of things.]
The print version is essentially the same but a full page version where the model is wearing what would be considered a sexy Santa suit. Connect's offices in Suva have this ad plastered all over their windows as well. A second version of the ad has a beefcake male wearing a Santa hat which may also be labeled as a sexy image [not necessarily my type, though].
However, It is the copywriting which, in conjunction with the image, is causing a reaction. "I know what you want..."
The real beauty of any ads appearing in the media is that they are fully open to personal interpretation. The challenge when developing ad campaigns is to come up with something which is eye-catching yet relevant and supportive of the product or service being advertised. The exception to this might be general brand advertising but in the case of this Connect ad, they're clearly looking to highlight free installation as something people want. The "I know what you want..." line just plays off of that. Is it sexually suggestive? Yes, of course it is. Is it offensive, degrading and does it potentially support violence against women? Well...that's a gray area.
A letter to the editor in the Fiji Times this past Sunday, 21 December, raised a similar issue of sexually suggestive advertisements in the public domain. Mohammed Ramzan, Chairman of an Islamic organisation in Nakasi, felt that some billboards with women in bikinis found alongside Fiji highways were obscene. Interestingly (to me, at least), I'd be more inclined to agree with Mr. Ramzan here, simply because billboard advertisements are so publicly visible. Newspaper ads can be ignored by just turning the page. However, Mr. Ramzan did include one line in his letter that I don't agree with:
"Such ads clearly show that our cultural and moral values are eroding."
His use of the words "our" would seem to indicate he or someone from his organisation actually designed and developed these advertisements. I doubt that's the case, of course. Mr. Ramzan's moral values are probably very well intact and I would expect those in his organisation to feel the same way. Whether the designer who developed the billboard in question can claim the same thing is really the question. Again, it's a subjective opinion at the end of the day. Although those billboards don't actually bother me, I can see why they would bother some people. One of the first things I learned in Fiji is that walking around without a shirt on in certain places is simply not appropriate. In a resort, it's fine. Along the side of a public road, it's not. Should an advertisement be exempt from those commonly accepted rules? I believe they should not be exempt.
For the record, I don't believe that if it was suddenly acceptable for people to walk around shirtless, it would automatically be a sign of cultural decay. The Fiji Times picked up Mr. Ramzan's letter and turned it into a story published in today's paper. See "
Cleric takes offense at bikini billboards":
"Gone are the days when tourists came to Fiji to see our cultural heritage," Mr Ramzan said. "What was considered to be a cultural country is no different than any western country. It perturbs me to see us let westernisation become a norm in our country."
I think we're starting to get off-topic here a bit. Is the issue the ads and billboards or is the issue the loss of Fijian innocence as "western culture" envelopes and clouds the island way of life? We need to be clear here. One is an argument while the other is a rant.
Back to Connect's advertisement and Fiji Media Watch's issues. In their letter, they make the point...
"The sexual innuendos conveyed in the message do not augur well for the way the young man and woman are portrayed. This innuendo behind the advertisements is not appropriate as well to be shown to families and households in the country."
They continue on from there referencing violence against women and clearly alluding to a connection between the seductive imagery and text with said violence. I feel it's a bit of a stretch. Consider a recent advertisement Oceanic has done for Aladdin's Cave. [I think our final version differed a bit.]
We're obviously showing a woman's body here but I feel very strongly that we're not encouraging violence against women. In fact, we're very much pushing the beauty of women and that's something that should be acceptable. Again, I don't think this is an appropriate billboard on the side of the road but in the ever-crowded Fiji Times pages, I think it's ok.
There's really not final answer on all this. Advertising agencies struggle to give their clients a voice among a sea of screaming voices. Many times, we need to be cute and creative in order to do so. There are definitely some ads I've seen which are in bad taste but I don't think that in the larger scheme of things, Connect's ad falls in that category. The more appropriate question is whether that advertising is working and perhaps if so, why? What does that tell us about the society we're living in?
Lastly, it does feel as if overseas ads can get away with pushing local sensitivities more than locally produced ones. As soon as it's something that feels too local, people begin making arguments against them. It's all really quite interesting...
