the Hanes ads

I did some googling about the Hanes ads that I find so reprehensible.

The ad types don’t seem to find them hateful. The comments on this post talk about the quality of the art and such, and generally come down in favor of the ads as important and edgy. It is in fact a real campaign from a real ad agency.

My gut feeling about this is that you do not use ideas and concepts this painful in order to sell products. It is morally wrong to do so. If you are an agency, though, I suppose you see ads as little artworks and don’t think there is anything wrong with putting together an ad with “impact.”

Before I went and became a world-saver, my first career plan was advertising. I think I am glad I went the way I did.

Blog round-up

Ethan Zuckerman is talking about Carl Bernstein and the “The best obtainable version of the truth.”

Kevin’s got some links to the international food aid conference coming up.

Leo Africanus would like to point out that the Masai do not belong in zoos.

And Naamen Gobert Tilahum posted about some Hanes underwear ads that are just so breathtakingly mean that I can’t even find words for them.