Black and blue or white and gold? The infamous debate over the colour of a dress took over social media sites during the last week of February 2015 on Twitter. Many people believed "the dress" was only a silly argument over an optical illusion which made the black and blue dress appear as white and gold. However, The Salvation Army, a non-governmental provider of social services, took advantage of the viral sensation and conveyed an important message in several advertisements. Twitter and Facebook users celebrated the organization's powerful campaign regarding domestic violence of women.
The South African branch tweeted an image showing a model covered in bruises in a gold and white version of the dress.
The South African branch tweeted an image showing a model covered in bruises in a gold and white version of the dress.
The company later tweeted another advertisement. The two images resemble the form of a question and answer technique used in advertisement.
These two images both represent effective advertising tactics, by using a viral image from a typical, pointless argument from the internet and incorporating it into images regarding a serious issue that needed to be informed. The Salvation Army successfully promoted the idea of domestic violence by using a viral image to attract users. These advertisements also reached out to possible victims of abuse. The images encourage victims or bystanders to contact The Salvation Army for assistance.
At the time of the arguments that took place online regarding "the dress", there were users who did not support the entire debate itself. They believed that the argument should not have occurred in the first place. When these advertisements were released, it completely changed their point of view. How truly beneficial is it to combine serious issues with the internet? Does it truly attract users or do they scroll right passed it?
This article, published by Global News, promotes active protection of rights, specifically women's rights. It also conveys the message of helping citizens and be equal and fair. In other words, this article encourages the ideas from the left side of the political spectrum to the readers.
Read more about this story. (Published by Global News: Friday, March 6, 2015)