Today’s opinion piece is from MABR student Nathan Clark.
The other day I picked up a new video game from Japan that, while excellent in its storytelling and enjoyment, has an unfortunately archaic and unjust representation of women for our modern day… At least by American standards. And this got me questioning how brands should navigate societal standards in the international market as globalization impacts them more every year. There is no “gold standard” for advertising that all countries can use equally, so what must companies do in order to keep everyone content while also keeping true to themselves?
In some cases it’s obvious when a brand made a mistake in their foreign marketing, such as Heineken’s infamous “Lighter is Better” ad from 2018 that received immense negative backlash from American audiences for blatantly racist undertones, while being seen as largely unproblematic in several European countries. That was a problem brought about by negligence and I doubt they were trying to make a racist commercial, but it’s not always as simple as saying “don’t be racist”.
We’re more connected than ever before, and as countries share differing views on subject matter such as LBGTQ rights, gender equality, racial equality, etc. brands find themselves in a difficult situation. It can be hard to stand up for your beliefs when a divided nation has opposing views, but even harder in a foreign country where those issues aren’t even being discussed. Coca-Cola received mixed criticism for their Saudi ad showing a father teaching his daughter how to drive once their laws changed on women being allowed to drive, but the question of how much an American company is allowed to comment on another country’s culture is a complex one. There is a grey area between speaking for marginalized groups that can’t speak for themselves and a colonialist mentality where western nations impose their values on others.
At the end of the day, it’s up to companies to decide where they want to draw the line in the sand. Fighting for a cause that isn’t your own away from home is never an easy one, but perhaps stirring the pot and disrupting cultural norms is a valid way to at least get a conversation started. Even if you’re not a part of it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/business/media/heineken-racist-ad.
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