They say there’s nothing better than fresh thinking when it comes to marketing and public relations. That is, of course, very true, but when the familiar is used to create something new it’s equally impressive.
In art re-appropriation is the act of taking an icon and giving it new meanings. Arguably examples include Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, wherein throwaway consumer items became priceless, and Greenpeace’s latest environmentalist onslaught, an international campaign that currently stands amongst the most daring we’ve seen in some time.
Rightly grabbing the social media and industry headlines, the charity targeted Volkswagen in response to the car manufacturer’s public persona as a ‘family brand’. Protesters hung banners over billboards in central London, while a video has gone viral, both of which use imagery symbolic of the company’s well received TV adverts featuring a child dressed as Darth Vader. In keeping with the Star Wars theme people are prompted to log onto
VW: The Dark Side and sign up to a petition.
As Marketing Week reported on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Greenpeace pointed to VW’s opposition to environmental laws as the catalyst for the attack, while the company’s representative said the automobile brand was shocked, and committed to cutting emissions. Whether an overreaction or just comment there’s not a chance people will forget this for some time, making it job well done for those responsible. Here’s the video.
