Nothing inflames the passions like a…. map

Seems that a sure fire way to grab attention for your advert these days is not to include nudity or an androgynous kiss but to include a map with a particular ‘take’ on where boundaries lie.

In May 2009, the Israeli Tourist Ministry were forced to apologise after showing the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights coloured as Israel with a faint white line demarking the Palestinian territories, with no border shown at all with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. TfL received about 600 complaints regarding the tourism poster on the London Underground, while the Advertising Standards Authority said it had received 300 complaints prompting the Ministry to accelerate the move onto the next stage of the campaign (although they did not remove the ‘offending’ posters). Presumably the next stage kept well clear of any mapping.

A ‘light-hearted’ advert for Absolut vodka in 2008 for the Mexican market managed to cause a “storm in a shot glass”. The ad showed an ‘antique’ map of North America dating to before the Mexican-American War, when large parts of what is now the USA belonged to Mexico in an attempt to tap into Mexico’s status as the “poor neighbour” to a country it once partly owned. If in Mexico they smiled at the re-acquisition of their land, the US reaction was far less favourable, forcing an apology on the Absolut website blog.

“We are sorry if we offended anyone… This was not our intention. In no way was this meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues. Instead, it hearkens to a time which the population of Mexico may feel was more ideal.”

Serious stuff. I think I need a drink….