The ad im opposing is about the addidas shackle shoes that were taken off the shelves due to rioters. They are linked to a pair of hand-cuffs, with the phrase "What's the Difference?" across the photo. One view is that the media and consumers are taking this shoe design out of proportion and the design did not purposely relate to slavery.
I oppose this view. For starters, I think that the designer definitely knew what this design would spark. Slavery is a sensitive issue, and the designer should have known that incorporating shackles on these shoes would hit home for some and offend many others. Some symbols will always bring back memories from the past, and there is a line that should not be crossed. Certain symbols can not be used to mean or portray other messages, like handcuffs for example. The designer could pretend to not know what he was getting into, or he could say he didn't mean the handcuffs to be a symbol of slavery; however, I do not believe this. Because slavery is real, using these shackles in the shoe design is a sign of disrespect, especially to those with ancestors that were in slavery. In a professional market, this design is very UNprofessional and I'm glad they were discontinued.
No comments:
Post a Comment