Honestly, when a friend first showed me this ad for the Beunos Aires Holocaust Museum, I was inclined to write it off as April Fools’ day nonsense. But nope, looks like it’s 100% real.
This, of course, raises the (all-too-obvious) question… What the hell are they trying to say here? That Holocaust Museums can be just as hip (Minimal graphics! Punchy text!) as other museums? That if Salvador Dali hadn’t been a successful artist he’d have been Hitler?
With ads like this, Ben Stiller’s “Night at the Holocaust Museum” starts to sound like a pretty good idea.
I know there’s a tendency to contemplate any modern mention of the Holocaust through the prism of “how many people does this have the potential to offend”? I am sure there are survivors out there, along with their families, who would cry foul and complain with all the seriousness and dignity of their position as living testaments of the past if they saw this ad.
I am also sure there are survivors out there who would just shrug their shoulders and not care.
I don’t think the ad is trying to “say” anything – at least not in the way that you mean it. They are just repackaging a tiny part of a historical narrative. They are not making any value judgements about Hitler, the Nazis, the Holocaust, etc. That has already been made by history. If you want to fault the ad for not being clear enough about their judgment of Hitler & co, go ahead by all means. But like…the whole purpose of the ad is to catch your eye (and get you to go to the museum if you are in Buenos Aires). Frankly, the very presence of advertising in our world is more offensive than anything in particular about this ad. And if you don’t think these kinds of ads should be ‘hip’, then you go figure out some other way for the museum to attract groups of young visitors so their board is happy with their monthly attendance stats.
Actually the ad is not offensive at all and it makes me want to know more about the holocaust. But, of course, getting offended is so much easier than thinking.
The Holocaust Museum in Buenos Aires’ previous ad campaign featured pics of ematiated prisoners on the yard. Large posters hung on the platform in subway stations There’s a chip missing in the marketing department of that museum. I’ll take the mustaches over the images of dying relatives. It was a special kind of visual horror for the morning commute. I’m not surprised about the hipster spin but glad you’re reporting it here. It’s a real wtf for a city with a vibrant Jewish community.
My intepretation – they are just trying to draw you in with the moustaches – the real point is in the slogan -> one museum. No art.
This is what is supposed to get you thinking. Its a move away from the more traditional “in your face” advertising for holcaust mseums, to something a bit more subtle that makes you stop and think for second.
I don’t think they’re trying to draw a real connection between dhali and hitler
Actually, I think this ad is quite cool and would make people want to know more. I don’t think it’s offensive, and it’s quite interesting.
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Disgusting no matter how you slice it. You can learn about the Holocaust by opening a book. There is absolutely no rationale for the this ad. All it does is perpetuate and capitalize on a piece of history that should not be used as an example of pride. Shame on you.