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  1. josh Hatcher
    February 17, 2014 @ 9:59 am

    So – set me straight – is it racist to say that using an ethnic model to a white couple might not be the most relevant choice?

    Obviously this is an extreme example, and my point is not that we SHOULDN’T think outside the box… my point is that your advertising should make sense and appeal to the person you are trying to attract as a customer.

    An example of this is this advertisement by CocaCola!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs

    Now – I LOVE this ad.. and I love the message that it sends.

    But the ad stirred up a LOT of controversy (which might or might not have been the point) and in the process… may have sent a different message!

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/coca-cola-super-bowl-ad-america-the-beautiful-conservatives-boycott

    Considering that football has a fairly broad audience… it might not have been irrelevant to ALL of the audience— but to some of the audience, it was.

    I LOVE this commercial… but the controversy surrounding it illustrates a couple things:

    1. Some Americans are pretty xenophobic. (and that DOES need to change)

    2. Making a politically charged statement with your ad MIGHT NOT achieve your desired outcome! This ad was relevant to many – and not relevant to others. Be careful not to alienate your target, unless you are Coca Cola, and rich enough that it doesn’t matter.

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