Financial Times

Consumers complain over Santa ads, polythene bags

The Sunday Times FT invites views and comments on advertisements in the media concerning ethics, fairplay or bad taste. The next column will appear on April 4. Send your questions, concerns or comments to the Business Editor, The Sunday Times, 8, Hunupitiya Cross Road, Colombo 2 or email: ft@sundaytimes.wnl.lk. Letters/comments/responses will be subject to editing to suit space requirements.

The Sunday Times FT launches its first advertising forum today discussing two advertisements - a woman we

aring a Santa type red cloak and polythene bags in a TV commercial.

One of our readers says that most people use advertising as an influential way to gain advantage over others.

"To be fair to all, advertising is good if done in an ethical manner. Most advertisements generally want to boost a product.

However the relevant authorities must take action if this main function is not achieved," the reader said in a letter to the Business Editor.

We publish two letters from consumers and their responses from the advertising agencies acting on behalf of their clients.

Polythene bags

The Cargills advertisement regarding their miscellaneous products (to and from the village) shows a child using a polythene bag bearing their logo as a kite, and followed by floating plastic ice-cream containers over the village waterways. Obviously this may result in blocking the waterways and lead to the mosquito menace and pollute the environment as well. These advertisements will directly misguide the children in protecting the environment.

Mahinda Ranasinghe (Nature lover from Kalapaluwawa)

Ranil De Silva, Managing Director, Leo Burnett replying on behalf of its client Cargills, says:We have spoken with the client as well and would firstly like to point out that the commercial has a much bigger message. It shows how Cargills has touched the lives of Sri Lankans from many walks of life and has thus reached out to the farmer and his family.

It represents the brands that have integrated itself into the everyday life of a village.

If you were to look at it from a more positive point of view, the shots in question in particular demonstrate a very important message - recycling and innovation, personal ingenuity. These children are able to enjoy the joys of childhood without having to buy kites and other such items which are not accessible and affordable to them unlike their counterparts in the more affluent urban areas. More importantly the Cargills packaging is biodegradable. So the issue does not arise and it is environmentally friendly.

Are we not trying to look too deep into a commercial to talk about blocking waterways and cause the mosquito menace? The story is quite simple and straightforward.

If advertising was going to be assessed to the extent you are addressing it, every commercial can and will I am sure have a damaging element that might affect some aspect of our society or a social issue.

Santa

The quarter page advertisement that ran in a Sunday newspaper on December 14, 2003, desecrates an icon of Christians particularly revered by children.

It defiles the image of Santa Claus that Christian children cherish. It puts parents in a very difficult position to hide from children the perverse intentions of those creating it. It displays the shallow minds of those doing this.

Concerned reader from Colombo

Ryan Jayatunga, CEO/Managing Director, Minds FCB, on behalf of the client, said:

Santa Claus has nothing to do with Christianity as a faith or religion. He is a part (important maybe) of Christmas folklore and myth. Santa has absolutely no connection or association with the Bible, the Holy Scriptures of Christians. In fact one might even say that Santa Claus is a usurper who has tried to take the rightful place of Jesus Christ at Christmas in the hearts and minds of Christian children and families.

The model in this ad does not have a snow-white beard, potbelly, black boots or belt, red headgear, sack of toys, sleigh or reindeer. The only connection to Santa is the red cloak. So there are more differences and only one similarity to Santa Claus, and that too helps to cover up the model rather than expose her.
I wonder, if the background of the advertisement was a beach scene and not snow filled mountains, would the reader have the same problem? If the answer is no as it should be, then maybe the real problem is the background and not the model per say. There are far more scantily dressed females in beach scenes in real life. Whatever the case maybe the reader's argument doesn't hold water for these two primary reasons.

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