FACTORS AFFECTING CORPORATE IDENTITY

ETHNICITY

GENDER

NATIONALITY

STATUS

CULTURE (TABOOS, RELIGION, …)

SOCIAL CONTEXT

…

The swastika, for example, is a symbol that was used by various cultures across the globe for over 5000 years to symbolize a variety of positive meanings including: good luck, life, sun, power, and strength. In fact, the word swastika comes from the Sanskrit svastika, which means “good fortune”, “well-being”, “all is well”. Sadly, those meanings have all been appropriate by the atrocities of the Nazi party. Now, when linked to war and tragedy, the message of this symbol is transformed and gains other meaning: a terrible connotation capable of emerging a horrible reaction from the viewer.

Our complex emotional responses to images reveals the profound depth and roots of our relationship with the visual world from long ago.

In the West, an image of a snake means evil and poison. Yet, when a snake is represented on a stick or on a cross, it means “defeated Satan”. It goes back to the ancient Greek mythology and also to the Bible. Therefore, in western countries the symbol for Pharmacy is a snake around a bowl. It means the power of the healing. Coming from many years of history, the bowl or chalice is Hygieia (Greek goddess of hygiene) representation. The snake is also associated to magic and medication (because of its poison) and rebirth = healing (because of its skins renewal). But without our Western cultural and mythological/ religion associations (many of which are rooted in the Bible and Greek and Roman mythology), a serpent is just a serpent.

A designer who uses an image of an apple is drawing on centuries of powerful symbolic usage. For most Western viewers, the image of an apple rises associations with nature, food, the “forbidden fruit” in the Garden of Eden, Snow White, and most recently the Apple computers.

The number 13 in most Western countries is considered an unlucky number. The reasons behind the cause of the association between thirteen and bacd luck is mainly religious (at Jesus Christ's last supper, there were thirteen people around the table. Some believe this is unlucky because one of those thirteen, Judas, was the betrayer of Jesus Christ). As a result, many companies use another way of numbering to avoid the 13: more than 80% of hi-rise buildings in the USA do not have a 13th floor, and the majority of hotels, hospitals and airports avoid using this number for rooms and gates as well. On the other hand, in China the number 4 is considered an unlucky number because it is nearly homophonous to the word “death”. Due to that, many numbered product lines skip the “4". Exemple: Canon PowerShot G's series (after G3 goes G5).

PEPSI

In 2013, during the football World Cup, Pepsi’s Swedish posted several ads featuring a voodoo doll of Ronaldo, famous Portuguese foot player, just before the qualification game between Portugal and Sweden.

Being considered the best football player in the world and due to his globally reputation and fame, the ads caught the world’s attention and went viral. As a result, many Ronaldo’s fans went to FB proclaiming “I will never drink Pepsi again”.

(And in case you missed it, Portugal beat Sweden 3-2. Cristiano Ronaldo scored all 3 goals and the victory knocked Sweden out of the playoffs!)

PEPSI

When Pepsi expanded their market to China, they launched with the slogan, "Pepsi brings you back to life." What they didn’t realize is that the phrase translated to “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.” If you're launching in a new

market, be sure you do some cultural research.

SONY

Sony really messed up with this ad campaign. The ads might as well have read “We’re Racists!” Needless to say, consumers were not impressed, and the ads were removed. What can you learn? Be careful using race as a metaphor. Chances are customers will read it as a metaphor for “we discriminate”.

BURGER KING

Burger King ran some suggestive ads in Singapore in 2010, and then experienced a steady decline in sales (thanks not only to this ad, but a whole series of explicit and offensive ad campaigns).

Burger King expected their main audience to be males aged 18-24, when in reality consumers of all ages and demographics enjoy their food and subsequently got a hold of this ad.

Whoops! What can you learn? Be aware of your audience.

VICTORIA’S SECRET

Just in the end of last year, Victoria’s Secret lingerie ads featured the words ‘The Perfect “Body”‘ over tall, thin and beautiful models. The line (which is called “Body,”) boasts the perfect fit, perfect comfort and claims that it is perfectly soft. Naturally, women have not found the campaign to be “perfect”, claiming that it gives women a false sense of beauty and an unattainable image of perfection.

A petition has gone around and racked up more than 27,000 signatures against the ads. After this, advertisements have been altered to read: “A Body For Every Body” over the same picture.

TASK 2 RESEARCH VISUAL IDENTITIES OR ADVERTING CAMPAIGNS THAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE WRONG REGARDING CULTURAL, ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS, GENDER OR SOCIAL CONTEXT FACTORS1. Find a collection of examples – between 5 and 10. Try

your best to include different factors on your research. 2. Justify your choices. What do you think is wrong with

each example? (e.g.: Is it offensive for any gender or religion? Is it disconnected from its audience because of social, economic or cultural contexts?…)