BenQ uses 9/11 for advertising campaign.. caution sensitive image

[mojohanna]

I think you are forgeting Fort Sumter, and for that matter all the battles started by the south during the civil war and the raids Pancho Villa made in New Mexico. I'd include some battles during the War of 1812, but since we started that one I don't think we can count those.

None of those involved a foreign power on US states. Pancho Villa was rading TX before TX was a state. An if memory serves, he was not acting as an official asset to the Mexican government.
Additionally, Confederate forces were not considered foreign since the north did not recognize the south as a legitimate state or government.

 

[backsidetailsli]

thats pretty lame.

 

[0098386]

Everyone in America has a problem with this ad, but when it comes to profiting off 9/11 with movies like United 93, Path to 9/11, or the people cashing in on blind patriotism by selling flags, bumper stickers, ribbons and all sorts of other crap, people have no problem with it. I'm not saying that this ad isn't tasteless, but everyone else has cashed in on 9/11, so why is everyone so upset over BenQ doing it?

Thank you. Whilst reading this thread I was about to make a post 100% the same as this.

Quoted for truth.

 

[angelneo]

I am not from NYC, but after being exposed to the same images in the past five years, I can immediately recognize WTC. It is very very obvious.

Well, somebody took a picture of WTC rubble before it got darkened and pushed to the side a bit and then added the kid in the foreground. Somebody knew what was being done. It could have been a mistake, but a very big mistake.

Unfortunately, I was not able to identify the image from WTC, but I agreed that whoever create that artwork was lazy and should not grab that image from some random sources and at least verify the image. And the department who approve the advert should kick themselves for not checking it. All in all, I think this was an oversight and they do not mean to offend anyone.

 

[TheAnswer]

None of those involved a foreign power on US states. Pancho Villa was rading TX before TX was a state. An if memory serves, he was not acting as an official asset to the Mexican government.
Additionally, Confederate forces were not considered foreign since the north did not recognize the south as a legitimate state or government.

Actually Villa raided New Mexico during the Mexican Revolution (1916) after we stopped funding him. And he was the de facto power in all of northern Mexico at that time.

As for being recognized as a legitimate state or government, seems the southerns (and Villa for that matter) had the same status as Al-Qaeda does today. In fact, Pancho Villa is one of many examples of the United States financially supporting sides in foreign conflicts that later come back to cause us problems.

 

[Bluefusion]

I honestly can't believe this.

And yes, that is unquestionably the WTC. I've lived across the street from Tower 2 for most of my life (125 Cedar St/120 Liberty, on top of the WTC fire station which still exists).

For one, it's absolutely tasteless, but more amusingly, it's a really terrible ad. The photoshopping is atrocious, they manage to mispell "Believe", and the grammar is horrifically off--basically, nothing about it works.

If you're gonna bank on tragedy, you might as well do it properly, no?

 

[bousozoku]

I'm from Singapore and I can speak/write Chinese natively, personally, if you guys did not bring this up I would not have notice it is from WTC. That translation from your friend is pretty close. The message is generic and it is not referring to WTC. I'm sure someone has mistakenly taken that image for use.

(I tried visiting the site again to re-read the text, but the page seems to have been taken down)

I had posted a bulletin to see what Chinese readers in Singapore and Malaysia thought. I didn't figure any of them knew what the image was but I suspected that no one would pay it much mind.

It is odd that it's basically gone for now. I'm guessing that all of the attention from outside China has probably made them decide to change it.

 

[theBB]

Everyone in America has a problem with this ad, but when it comes to profiting off 9/11 with movies like United 93, Path to 9/11, or the people cashing in on blind patriotism by selling flags, bumper stickers, ribbons and all sorts of other crap, people have no problem with it. I'm not saying that this ad isn't tasteless, but everyone else has cashed in on 9/11, so why is everyone so upset over BenQ doing it?

I find those movies crass. I think 9/11 is still raw, United 93 type movies should have waited a few more years. Chevrolet commercials also exploited 9/11 to some extent with the twin lights, images of firefighters etc, but at least they had images of historical events in the US going quite a few decades back, including the "dust bowl." Bumper stickers allowed people to express their emotions, so I don't have a problem with those.

Besides, BenQ is not an American company and that counts against them. That's an understandable response, isn't it?

 

[spicyapple]

Haven't seen Flight 93, but did go see World Trade Center in the theatres. The movie was not offensive, if anything, it showcased bravery and courage in a difficult time. Whether one calls it "exploitation" is just begging for trolled reply, since these movies give people jobs and gets people thinking. American productions about an American tragedy.

BenQ has no business using WTC images in their advertising. If they didn't know it was WTC images, then that only proves their ignorance, but we can't come to that conclusion. If it was intended to shock, then they misjudged and are viewed as a tasteless company whose products I wouldn't buy.

 

[dextertangocci]

Firstly, I don't even know what Benq is, and secondly, who cares if that's the WTC

 

[MacPanda]

crappy asian manufacturer who cares

The thing about benq is that they are really quite pathetic - they have no marketshare and they want to get noticed by just putting an image that will stir up interest and cause people to be annoyed therefore creating awareness to their product - it is a dirty trick - but one these crappy chinese mp3 manufacturers use.

Ant

 

[spicyapple]

Firstly, I don't even know what Benq is, and secondly, who cares if that's the WTC

Exactly! Now go back to milking your goats.

 

[Bern]

I had posted a bulletin to see what Chinese readers in Singapore and Malaysia thought. I didn't figure any of them knew what the image was but I suspected that no one would pay it much mind.

It is odd that it's basically gone for now. I'm guessing that all of the attention from outside China has probably made them decide to change it.

And so they should, it wasn't just Americans who died in those towers that day.

My partner is Chinese Malaysian and has family living in both Malaysia and Singapore, now I know most of the time these two place are fairly ignorant towards the western nations until they need something, but even my partner's family and friends recognised that picture as the WTC.

 

[Maxx Power]

View attachment 63318

What if Apple ran an ad like this in the US?

Do you think the Chinese would be offended?

What would you think of Apple, as a company?

Do you think this is in good taste?


What values other than decency, proper respect and solemnity are you talking about?

no bunches of luv for you!

I donno, seeing as how the Republican's Campaign is based on a bunch of Bin Laden scare tactics ran on TV as commercials, this doesn't seem offensive next to that stunt. And the republican's campaign is PROBABLY made in the US, too.

And to whoever said that thing about WWII, we've been using that to make money for years.... Just look at all those WWI and WWII video games, movies, etc.. Just takes a short while for the public to be desensitized to it, and hey, at least BenQ is respecting America's freedom and capitalism - that whatever makes money, sells.

 

[Maxx Power]

Is anyone in China (where I believe the ad ran) offended by images of 911? Also an honest question.

Actually, this is a very interesting question. Outside of the Northwest here, and especially in the East, there is a strong anti-american sentiment, mostly among the poorer (which is the majority there). Not at all the same reactions toward 9/11th in the east as here, that's all I need to say.

 

[Maxx Power]

I honestly can't believe this.

And yes, that is unquestionably the WTC. I've lived across the street from Tower 2 for most of my life (125 Cedar St/120 Liberty, on top of the WTC fire station which still exists).

For one, it's absolutely tasteless, but more amusingly, it's a really terrible ad. The photoshopping is atrocious, they manage to mispell "Believe", and the grammar is horrifically off--basically, nothing about it works.

If you're gonna bank on tragedy, you might as well do it properly, no?

The Ad is targeting toward predominantly NON-English speakers, they are not expected to understand the grammar. The marketing perspective here is to try to sell a tourist/illusionist image of what American ideals are like to those who would pay for it.

It's all a part of global marketing strategies. BenQ markets in North America using the image of quality electronics (like Japanese stuff) for good prices (since they are from Asia). And they market themselves oppositely toward the east, using the image of "Accepted and praised by Americans" and designed the "American way" to sell to those who are little more decadent in the east.

That Ad was a very regional Ad. Have you ever seen a bottled-water Ad from Bechtel ? Well, you won't if you live in North America. But if you are in one of those third world countries, either now or in the past, where water has been forcefully privatized, you'd find those offensive as well.

 

[mattster16]

How many people overseas (both American and foreign) are being killed in a war that nobody even seems to give a damn about and is escalating daily? As long as their life isn't affected it's like a TV show to them.


This should really be the least of our worries right now. 9/11 was horrible, but it is in the past. We have bigger issues to deal with in the present than patriotism and yellow magnets.

 

[Abstract]

Even if it is the WTC (which I agree, it does look like it is) you need to remember that these ads never ran in the US. And like it or not, different countries have different values.

Let's put a spin on this, is running an ad in Asia that features 9-11 wreckage more or less sensitive then making/playing a WWII game in which you play on the beaches of normandy?

I think people in the western world (I'll include Canada in this as well) need to remember that 9-11 isn't the only tragedy in the world.

9-11 is as big a tragedy as many other tragedies experienced in other countries, although Americans try to make 9-11 big all over the world. I don't think it's bigger than many other tragedies out there, and I don't think Americans should expect the world to stop and grieve to the level of most Americans when Americans don't pay much attention to non-US related tragedies.

Personally, I don't really feel offended by this image, and I'm sure many other people in this world will not flinch at this ad the same way you do, or instantly think of the WTC when they see this ad. You see the WTC because many of you are American and are sensitive about the event. Many people in other countries may be able to see that the building is WTC, but not give it a second thought. Sorry if you're just finding this out now.

And besides, there's too much hypocrisy for me to really say, "Oh my, what an insensitive ad!" Americans aren't exactly culturally sensitive.

 

[bousozoku]

I donno, seeing as how the Republican's Campaign is based on a bunch of Bin Laden scare tactics ran on TV as commercials, this doesn't seem offensive next to that stunt. And the republican's campaign is PROBABLY made in the US, too.

And to whoever said that thing about WWII, we've been using that to make money for years.... Just look at all those WWI and WWII video games, movies, etc.. Just takes a short while for the public to be desensitized to it, and hey, at least BenQ is respecting America's freedom and capitalism - that whatever makes money, sells.

I don't buy video games like the Call of Duty series, even though they're well made, because I feel that they're disgusting in their premise. There are substitutes that don't relive human suffering. It's obvious that people are de-sensitized or there wouldn't be so many outrageous murders and other attacks. They always existed but in much smaller numbers.

 

[Maxx Power]

9-11 is as big a tragedy as many other tragedies experienced in other countries, although Americans try to make 9-11 big all over the world. I don't think it's bigger than many other tragedies out there, and I don't think Americans should expect the world to stop and grieve to the level of most Americans when Americans don't pay much attention to non-US related tragedies.

Personally, I don't really feel offended by this image, and I'm sure many other people in this world will not flinch at this ad the same way you do, or instantly think of the WTC when they see this ad. You see the WTC because many of you are American and are sensitive about the event. Many people in other countries may be able to see that the building is WTC, but not give it a second thought. Sorry if you're just finding this out now.

And besides, there's too much hypocrisy for me to really say, "Oh my, what an insensitive ad!" Americans aren't exactly culturally sensitive.

That's the most intelligent thing I have heard on this thread so far. If one is to read a bit about the US foreign policies and some of US officials' famous words like "we don't do body counts" - Rumsfeld, on the Iraqi casualty, and "too bad they can't both lose", Kissinger, on the Iran-Iraq war, one will realize
why so many Non-Americans don't grieve for the Americans, this even includes the Canadians. In a recent poll (9/11, this year) in the newspaper in Ottawa (a conservative city), something like 80% of all responded that the US government had a hand in the 9/11 incident in light of the new facts over the last few years.

 

[theBB]

That Ad was a very regional Ad. Have you ever seen a bottled-water Ad from Bechtel ? Well, you won't if you live in North America. But if you are in one of those third world countries, either now or in the past, where water has been forcefully privatized, you'd find those offensive as well.

Yeah, it is so much better when water is free, so it gets wasted and water shortages become commonplace.

 

[princealfie]

I love the ad. It is provocative and keeps us in perspective. Good job with the lyrical sense of tragedy that pervades our postmodern mumblejumbo.

 

[princealfie]

Haven't seen Flight 93, but did go see World Trade Center in the theatres. The movie was not offensive, if anything, it showcased bravery and courage in a difficult time. Whether one calls it "exploitation" is just begging for trolled reply, since these movies give people jobs and gets people thinking. American productions about an American tragedy.

BenQ has no business using WTC images in their advertising. If they didn't know it was WTC images, then that only proves their ignorance, but we can't come to that conclusion. If it was intended to shock, then they misjudged and are viewed as a tasteless company whose products I wouldn't buy.

Uh, I disagree with that. Isn't our postmodern world the epitome of kitsch? Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears are worse than this ad to be honest. I am more offended by the britches (or lack thereof) of the bit***es.

 

[bousozoku]

...
In a recent poll (9/11, this year) in the newspaper in Ottawa (a conservative city), something like 80% of all responded that the US government had a hand in the 9/11 incident in light of the new facts over the last few years.

That doesn't surprise me. The morning it happened, I thought to myself that the U.S. government administration (read Bush and friends) had paid for the attacks. Everyone told me that I was crazy to think such a thing, that Americans would never attack their own people.

 

[Maxx Power]

Yeah, it is so much better when water is free, so it gets wasted and water shortages become commonplace.

But privatizing water just means that those who have money can use it and of course waste it. Money shouldn't be the judgment factor for conservation on natural resources. Privatizing water also means, that you are not legally allowed to take even water from the sky, in forms of rainfall or snow, and it is a jailable offence in those countries. It doesn't even include water treatment for usability, as long as it is water, from anywhere in nature, it is owned by a private company. At least we pay for water processing and treatment here in North America in the form of taxes for the city and regulations on water quality. So quality water really is not "free".