In response to Kelsey Ingham’s post on The UNHATE Campaign:
I thought Kelsey’s post on the UNHATE Campaign was an interesting read. As Kelsey described, the UNHATE Campaign, desired and founded by the Benetton Group, seeks to contribute to the creation of a new culture of tolerance and to combat hatred. What caught my attention the most from this campaign was their digitally altered adverts of world leaders kissing each other. If they had the intentions of garnering attention, they are certainly successful with these adverts. But in terms of spreading the actual message of growing tolerance, I thought the way they marketed it through the adverts didn’t align. Kissing symbolizes romance or passion and doesn’t directly relate with tolerance which is what the UNHATE Campaign is focusing on. A more appropriate gesture, perhaps a hug or two people holding hands in harmony, could have been used. This may have caused less controversy, especially with topics pertaining to religions and comfort. But despite what Benetton’s real intentions were, I thought the campaign was admirable in the sense that it was aiming to raise tolerance and love between different groups and people. Whether it was grasped positively or negatively by the public, it still gets people thinking about “unhate”.
On a side note, this campaign also reminded me of a similar campaign called “NOH8 Campaign” which is a photographic silent protest responding to Proposition 8, the amendment of California’s State Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. The photos “feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Prop 8 and similar legislation around the world, with “NOH8″ painted on one cheek in protest.” Both campaigns aim to spread the message of equality and tolerance.