VicHealth takes positive slant on race
The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation has launched a campaign to tackle racism, asking Victorians to ‘See beyond race’.
In the ads, created by The Campaign Palace Melbourne, Victorians are invited to see an African, middle eastern and Aboriginal as human beings with jobs, families and interests.
http://youtu.be/ogGvLMUxVmE
“All too often anti-racism initiatives seem to highlight the negative, and in the process reinforce stereotypes,” said The Palace’s national chief creative officer Reed Collins. “It was a real challenge to highlight the positives of diversity among two very targeted neighbourhoods. Using familiar faces of people that live in these communities in the messaging was key in doing this.”
I like this. Message is simple and truthful and hits just the right tone. It looks like the priority was to achive the client’s objective rather than win an award. NSW gov could run this and just change the logo.
I still believe that Australia needs to ensure that we do not let in too many blonde Norweigans. They are prone to terrorism and do not assimilate.
I think these ads are racist. It stereo types muslims, indians, native australians, asians etc……… typical stereo types are a form racism too!
I guess the insight is that we should get to know people for who they are as valuable members of the community.
This ad does not help anything?
Love it, hopefully it gets picked up by the other states as well.
Anonymous is flat-out wrong; none of these ads references an ethnic stereotype.
Instead of challenging (by presenting and contradicting) particular stereotypes, it challenges stereotyping in general, asking us to “see past race” to the unique pattern of differences that makes up every individual’s personality.
I have two concerns: one is that it’s quite a subtle message, and I wonder if it might be missed. Second, the obsession with individuals and downplaying of culture and collective identity is a very Western thing. It would be interesting to know if the individual participants felt these traits were the most important thing about them.