Monthly Archives: June 2016

Reborn to be alive

 

Original Advertisement:

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Though one would not realize it as first, this advertisement is for a Belgian campaign that focuses on encouraging people to sign up as organ donors. The campaign its self, called “Reborn to be alive,” uses differing advertising techniques to encourage people to consider becoming organ donors, and also to dispel the commonly held belief that all Belgian citizens are automatically eligible to have their organs donated without prior consent. While most of their ads use a mixture of humor and violence, or induce sympathy in order to relay their message, this 2008 print add turned to sexuality in order to sell their message. The advertisement, which seems to be aimed mostly towards heterosexual males (I make this assumption due to the blatant illusion to sexual penetration), uses a play on words to sexualize the concept of organ donation by comparing it to sexual penetration. This not only objectifies the woman in the image, but seems to sexualize her potential victim-hood when one considers that for her to receive an organ donation she would need to require one due to illness or injury. In producing this message, the possible deaths of men also seem to be sexualised as death would be required for their organs to be harvested and donated. Through the use of the words “probably your only chance to get inside her,” the advertisement also seems to target men with lower self-esteem who may feel that they are less likely to attract women, especially women who may be considered more conventionally attractive. Finally, when one considers the morality of the campaign juxtaposed with the problematic tactic of the ad, it is difficult not to feel a sense of dissonance. While this contrast may have been intentional, as is quite effective in catching the eye of those who come across it, it is disturbing to see such a problematic add being used for such a noble cause.


Jammed Advertisement:

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The strategy that I took in making my Jam of the “Reborn to be alive” advertisement was to replace the already extremely problematic text with text that gave the same message but in a more blatant way. By using this method, I predicted that shock value would be added to the image, hopefully also inducing more though about its disturbing message. The words that I chose where aimed at the demographic that I assumed the original ad was meant to attract, namely heterosexual males. As I stated in my examination of the original ad, I also believed that it was more specifically aimed at men who experience difficulties with confidence, especially concerning approaching women. In order to address this, my wording was meant to be relatable to men who would not think themselves capable of attracting women like the one shown in the picture.  By saying “we’ve found a way for you to sexualize women from beyond the grave” my jammed ad points out not only the objectification of women that is presented by the original add, but the disturbing sense of necrophilia that accompanies it. The last sentence that I added was meant to point out the oddity that is presented by the morality of the cause verses the immorality of the advertisement itself. My words are meant to bring light to the non-consensual tone that the original advertisement seems to take, as well as point out that outlandishness of the idea of becoming an organ donor simply due to the prospect of having a part of your own body put into the body of someone that you may find sexually attractive.


Sources:

Reclame campagnes

https://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/prints/reborn-to-be-alive-get-inside-her-12604705/