The other day, while mindlessly surfing Facebook I came across a questionable advertisement by Diesel, an Italian Clothing Brand. The ad shows a tattooed woman dressed in just a Burqa head dress, and in bold writing it states beside the image, “I AM NOT WHAT I APPEAR TO BE.”
Burqas are traditional Islamic attire worn by women to cover their bodies. The ad combines a Western and Islamic image which is something that has not been done by such a large brand. Some may see the idea as a creative original brand promotion but others, especially those of Islamic faith, may find this very offensive. The whole purpose of a Burqa is to cover the skin of a woman for religious reasoning, but Diesel intentionally shows the whole side of the woman’s body. When bringing religion into marketing and appearing to mock it, it brings ethics into the conversation.
Is it appropriate for one of the world’s more famous and recognizable clothing brands to portray a religion like this? No. Diesel should know better as a company. They should not only have enough expertise but also enough experience in advertising to realize that this is not acceptable. Today’s world promotes diversity and despite the view a small portion of Western society has of Muslims, people are generally accepted for who they are and not judged by religion or beliefs. Diesel has shown disrespect towards Muslims and should face consequences. It is possible that the public opinion of the brand could change negatively due to negative reactions to their unethical marketing techniques. I hope people see these and do change their minds about buying Diesel products but I do not think that it will happen. I think people will look at the ad as any other Diesel promotion unfortunately. Which makes me question is any publicity good publicity?
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burqa
http://www.mtvdesi.com/diesel-burqa-ad-fashion-faux-pas
http://www.diesel.com