Tuesday 10 February 2009

Immoral Advertising?

This is probably a topic you'll keep seeing me add too throughout this blog.

The question popped up at some presentation I was shown at my college. Criticism over adverts has been going on for years, right back from the Dada movement to modern day fashion billboards. But where do you drawn the line? What should be allowed and what shouldn't?

From the mid 80s to the mid 90s, Italian clothing range Benneton and photographer Oliviero Toscani took the shock factor of advertising to a new level. All of these photographs were advertising a clothing range, from glamorising prisoners on death row to showing the effect AID's victims have on their families members. Whether it's immoral in your eyes or not, the plan worked. By 1994 Benneton were the 3rd most recognised company logo in the world. Oliviero Toscani was later sacked from Benneton, and refused work from most companies. His work is fucking intelligent, and he's definitely a big inspiration for anyone who lacks ignorance.

Unfortunatley alot of the advertisments are so graphic, they're really hard to find on the internet, but I'm sure if you look hard enough you can find em. But here's some I didnt manage to find. Just imagine these on huge billboards across the world..




2 comments:

braindeadscum said...

I always thought these images were pisstakes, not actual advertisments.

cateralwayswins said...

Nah, there's some well interesting documentary about it all floating around the net somewhere...i'll let you know when I find it.