by S Khalid

Created on: July 07, 2008

Culture? For over decades now the meaning of the term is so wooly. The articulating voices from everywhere seems to be changing the global positioning of culture and tradition.

China seems to take in its hands operation 'alert' where channeling commercialism is the root objective. In a bid to shield the real cultural uniqueness, the Chinese moral supervising force is on to making sure that its citizens are not being enticed into the wrong stimulus. As a result of regulation, outlawing all commercials and advertisement hoardings which are seductive and provoking.

The experts are now saying that it is going a bit too far. The thin line between blush and sexy is being crossed over without realizing the mischief. It indeed is customary to make the billboards blush, but over the top sexy is by no means acceptable anywhere around the world.

highly provocative hoarding advertising 'durex', the world's thinnest condom could of course be a good enough reason for a community uproar. Family oriented people are actually outraged at the increasing soft-porn content of the larger than life blow ups.

"This sort of highly sexual imagery is harming the development of children and teenagers," said Australian Family Association president Angela Conway.

"They are essentially putting M-rated and soft-porn content out on the streets and are getting away with it."

Such intimacy and crude visualization of sex is educating teenage girls that their purpose in life is to be sexually compliant and useable.

Marketing experts on the other hand say that agencies are aptly pushing the provocative boundaries, some even cross it, but they have been sexy for a while and are not really detoriating in standards.

Some time ago, when ad-men were men, and women made the tea, there was a popular advertising genre known as "two Cs and a K." It was a suggestion for the way women were used in ads and we have been witness to that simplicity a hundred times until now when it comes out rare.

The formula is still applied today, though no one dares to adopt the old form. The ad-land glossary has unquestionably become more posh since the "two Cs in a K" days. As per the new report from the European Council the industry's depiction of women is wedged in the Dark Ages.
A marketing senior lecturer commented that the purpose of a hoarding was to attract consumer's attention, and that is what sexual imagery does, 'it makes heads turn'.

It is of cource noticeable that the billboards hyping sex and sexual images are deliberated. Sex is the easiest way to grab attention and it pays well enough.

Besides this, there have been other controversial billboards like displays for Lee jeans, erectile dysfunction and Levi's, featuring two females kissing, hence screaming 'Homosexuality is so OK'.
The latest billboards to turn heads include Durex, Calvin Klein, Lovable, Ambra and Skyy vodka.

read the rest at: http://ad-n-diction.blogspot.com/2007/12/artless-art iculating.html

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