Violence in H&M Stores over ad

[Thin Lizzy]

Uh no Ron. The marketing team knew exactly what they were doing which was drawing attention to their stores and brand so it would be talked about all over social media. Shock advertising to get attention is everywhere and no-one seems to pick up that it's done on purpose.

- Make an advertisement that's controversial
- No-one is going to really notice it big time until it gets attention properly so you release statements that your company has received thousands of complaints that the advertisement is racist/offends this group or that group even though the ad has been out for a day
- Every news page on Facebook has to post about it lest they be left out of the loop
- Everyone knows about your brand and new products
- Release a statement that the ad wasn't meant to offend anyone, or the mother of the child approves of it, or a person at the company made a mistake and they have since been let go etc etc.
- Profit

What happened in South Africa might cost them some money but it keeps them in the news cycle for a few more days.

You do make a pretty compelling case. It’s hard to believe that in a company of that size and that has been around for awhile that nobody thought that this would be offensive.

[Tha Grim Lifter]

It's done everywhere.

First time I picked up on it was years ago there was a company statement release about some new Alcohol flavoured Tim Tam Chocolates not actually containing alcohol (I'm in Australia). Apparently they had received complaints that parents were worried their kids would eat them and get drunk.

Firstly - the product had barely been out. How the fuck would parents know about them and there's obviously no way there could be alcohol in them. It's was obviously to get attention.

Make something up that you can release a statement on that the product or advertising doesn't cause harm or wasn't meant to offend anyone. Immediately makes people want to see or try the product or pay attention to the ad.

The memes stemming from this ad like a white kid wearing a top saying 'Koolest Kid in the Klan' (google it) just help further.

Everything in advertising is to get attention - this one worked amazingly as it even got a thread on getbig.

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

So sadly, these two boys will now go to jail, where they will probably be released to do this over again. And worst, the people at the store, the hourly workers that need the job, will clean up the mess.  If nothing gets done regarding this, then it shows a clear message to others that it is ok to ransack a store just because they didn't like the ad.   The company had already pulled the garmet and the marketing already.



https://nypost.com/2018/01/11/mother-of-boy-in-hms-coolest-monkey-ad-says-get-over-it/

The designers and marketing people at H&M Clearly at night the brightest people in the world.... but question, what would of happened if they had a 'white' boy in this ad.... would that be ok then?

Its ridiculous.  The company is based out of Sweden.....the photographer likely didn't pay it any mind as racial issues in Sweden are very rare.  That's why the mother said to get over it.   Destroying stores is criminal.

[Chadwick The Beta]

[Pray_4_War]

The rioting Dindus aside, you do have to wonder what was going through H&Ms collective mind to put out a shirt like that. Did no one see what was going to happen?

Relating black people to monkeys never occurred to them.  It basically proves that they aren't racists.

I do understand your point though.

[Griffith]