United Colors of Benneton

The more I think about the ad campaign for United Colors of Benneton the more I wonder what kind of person concocted the idea for such a evil ad campaign.  I think this campaign is wrong on many levels.  First of all, I do not think it is right even for a charity to attempt to manipulate people with such shock value.  You should make an argument that can appeal to the audience, not shock them into submitting to what you want them to do.  The ads could be written off as a attempt to “build awareness” about certain humanitarian crises throughout the world, but I do not think this is the case.  If the United Colors of Benneton really cared about promoting awareness for these problems they should have included the names of organizations you can donate to or ways you can help along with their ads on more than just a few pictures.  However, even if they made this change, I still think there is a conflict of interest with the ads.  Business is not charity and charity is not business.  In the end, a business’s primary objective is to make money not to help suffering people.  If tommorow the public started boycotting Benneton’s products because of their disgusting marketing procedure, Benneton would drop their “charity” attitude like a hot potatoe.  Even if the people in these ads are happy with having their deepest and most personal suffering broadcast to the world, it is only because they do not realize they are being taken advantage of.  Benneton’s gross ad campaign is nothing more than a uniquely cruel and perverted strategy to make money.

Good Arguments

I think the discussion today in class went a long way toward helping me gain an understading of the fundamental aspects of a good evaluation argument.  The part of the lecture where we discussed how ethos, pathos, and logos are related to the three different ways to make an evaluation argument sparked a moment of clarity for me.  I can now see a better way to approach my evalutation argument.  The method of finding the right combination of aesthetics, practicality and ethics makes an argument strong and well organized.  The right combination of these appeals is the secret to persuading someone is a clear, well-organized argument.