Response to "AIDS and Advertising"

AIDS and Advertising

This ad for Benetton clothing does little to prove anything about their product at first glance. It's hard to imagine that a company that is selling clothing could be so bold as to use a dying man as part of their advertising campaign for collared tee shirts. I think there is a much greater message present in the picture than simply a preview of Benetton clothing, especially since there is no implication that the clothing worn even comes from Benetton. I think the most important aspect of analyzing this ad is to look at the time period in which it was released. The early 1990s was a period where many people chose to go against the grain of society. After being different was glorified as 'hip' in the 1960s and 1970s, the popular desire was to be among the number that went against popular convention. During the Reagan/Bush years many felt that they were trapped by society to behave in a certain manner. The desire to be different became stronger than ever. In the early 1990s the road to meltdown was complete and breaking free from the mold of society was more popular than ever. The decade is defined by groups of people going against what they thought were the moral guidelines of the times. Musicians became more popular when they moved to being more edgy, politicians won elections if they could convince their constituents that they were young and different than the stuffy old bureaucrats currently in office, and fashion was defined by the rule of there being no rules. As people broke away from societal norms, it became popular to focus on problems that weren't being properly addressed. The problem of HIV and AIDS not being addressed in the USA or the world at large was a huge target for the hipsters of the day. It was hard to catch any respectable celebrity without the now famous red ribbon. The demonstration that they were privy to the AIDS epidemic that was sweeping the globe helped to communicate to other 'cool' people that they could rest assured that the wearer of the ribbon was in fact 'with it'. Since the ad apparently has nothing to do with clothing, it is almost automatic to assume that the goal of the ad isn't to prove that Benetton makes the best clothes, but rather to prove that they are also 'with it'. This is an intelligent move on their part because people didn't really care what they were wearing, as long as they felt good about it. The necessity of fitting in with what others wore was out the window when the hippies showed up. The best the to do for a business was to sell themselves rather than their product. It is clear to me that the hope of the advertisers is that people will see the ad and say to themselves in their head, "Oh my God, how horrible... well, Benetton is with it because they're not afraid to confront the harsh realities of the world." and then, once they had embraced the company the natural flow of thought would go from: "I hope I'm cool--> Benetton is cool-->I like Benetton-->I buy Benetton clothes-->I know I'm cool." It's the goal of every advertiser in the modern age. The goal isn't to prove that Nike shoes are the best, it's to prove that Nike shoes are the coolest, and if you wear them, you will be cool by association. So, by Benetton showing the world that they are brave enough to publicly display what they are passionate about, that others will see them being so passionate and enjoy the name, not necessarily the product. But in the end, people will buy their product to be cool through osmosis.