Manipulation or Reaching Out?

Years ago, the famous clothing company, United Colors of Benetton, put up an advertisement that featured a picture of a dying AIDS patient and his family surrounding him. The patient was in obvious distress and the family was grieving. The only words seen in the ad was the tiny logo of the company in the right-hand corner. This is a very confusing advertisement strategy considering that clothes and AIDS, or any sickness for that matter, are unrelated. However, I believe that this was done in order to appeal to consumers and their emotional side. It is not clear if Benetton used this real-life image to convey the message that they had intentions of donating a percentage of their revenue to AIDS research and patients but that is definitely what anyone would think after taking a look at the ad. It tugs on the heart strings and would make consumers ponder it. It could even be a play on the company's name, "United," meaning that we should all stick together and support people in need of love and care, even those who we do not know. They did not use the conventional form of grabbing the audience's attention. I think that was exactly the point. They created a highly controversial advertisement in order to evoke a sensitive emotion in people and make them remember their company. No one could ever forget something that is as confusing or as heart wrenching. The image may be a subliminal message so that it makes sure to stay in people's conscience and trigger an impulse to buy and contribute something when passing by a United Colors of Benetton store at the mall. Because the picture depicts nothing about Benetton's clothing, they clearly were only focusing on the image itself and the stigmatisms that come along with it. It was a very risky business move, however, that alone may have been the factor as to why it was a good move to make.

By just looking at the image, no one call tell what exactly is going on. It is not apparent that the patient was suffering from AIDS or that he was even dying. That is not the point. The point is someone is obviously in distress and so are their family members. Those people were ordinary people, just like you and me. Associating Benetton with saving or helping ordinary people is a good look for the company. That way, consumers would think that Benetton cares about them and their family. As much as we would all like to believe that the corporate world cares about individuals and are not all money-oriented, that is not the case. The image in the advertisement projects that feeling though and that is definitely a great look for them. All in all, I think that as smart as this tactic was, it was still manipulation. United Colors of Benetton cares more about sales and money than they do individuals, as sad as that is to say. We live in a cold, cold world that is made up of capitalists. What more can you expect?