"Axe Ingham's "Breast Awareness Week" billboard campaign", By Clair Weaver, 7 Oct 2007. Source: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news-2/watchdog-bans-chicken-ads-cancer-pun/story-e6frfkp9-1111114587838
Pun but not Fun
This advertisement was published in 2007 by the Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd, a chicken and turkey products producer. On the top of the advertisement, there is a bold slogan “Breast awareness week”. Below the slogan, there are photos of three different chicken breast products. On the bottom, there are descriptions of “Ingham snacks are now made with 100% chicken breast.”
Originally, the creator of this advertisement is trying to promote their products through the use of pun with the word “Breast”. According to Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus (source: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/pun?q=pun), “pun” is “a humorous use of a word or phrase that has several meanings or that sounds like another word”. The creator of the advertisement is trying to relate their chicken breast products with the well-known campaign of “Breast Awareness Week”, as to promote their products in a humorous way. However, the “Breast Awareness Week” is a famous charity campaign intended to raise public awareness on breast cancer, instead of humor, this advertisement is considered to be offensive to a lot of people.
Firstly, this is most offensive to the people who suffered from breast cancer. To them, this advertisement have made fun with their disease to promote the products. Secondly, to their friends, the advertisement will evoke a lot of unhappy memories when they see this advertisement. Thirdly, to the public, in order to raise the awareness of their advertisement, the company have made fun of a charity event which purpose is to raise the public’s awareness towards a horrible disease. In this case, instead of promoting their products, the advertisement have actually created a huge damage to the brand image and reputation.
This advertisement was published in 2007 by the Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd, a chicken and turkey products producer. On the top of the advertisement, there is a bold slogan “Breast awareness week”. Below the slogan, there are photos of three different chicken breast products. On the bottom, there are descriptions of “Ingham snacks are now made with 100% chicken breast.”
Originally, the creator of this advertisement is trying to promote their products through the use of pun with the word “Breast”. According to Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus (source: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/pun?q=pun), “pun” is “a humorous use of a word or phrase that has several meanings or that sounds like another word”. The creator of the advertisement is trying to relate their chicken breast products with the well-known campaign of “Breast Awareness Week”, as to promote their products in a humorous way. However, the “Breast Awareness Week” is a famous charity campaign intended to raise public awareness on breast cancer, instead of humor, this advertisement is considered to be offensive to a lot of people.
Firstly, this is most offensive to the people who suffered from breast cancer. To them, this advertisement have made fun with their disease to promote the products. Secondly, to their friends, the advertisement will evoke a lot of unhappy memories when they see this advertisement. Thirdly, to the public, in order to raise the awareness of their advertisement, the company have made fun of a charity event which purpose is to raise the public’s awareness towards a horrible disease. In this case, instead of promoting their products, the advertisement have actually created a huge damage to the brand image and reputation.
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