Ads are uniquely structured mini movies that attempt to sell something within seconds. That’s why it has to be carefully planned out so that it can grasp the audience’s attention and successfully present its message. However, if it goes wrong, those very ads can look very wrong.
India has had some brilliantly horrible examples such as the billboard about rape. Or the matrimonial ad looking for non-feminist women. And the worst out of the lot, the beti bachao, roti banwao campaign. But by the looks of it, France has taken things to a much more awful level.
According to the Indian Express, the southern town of Beziers had put an ad, showing a woman tied to train tracks, to celebrate the arrival of high-speed TGV trains. However, despite severe backlash, the local court has approved of the advertisement.
As the caption read “with the TGV, she would have suffered less“, many people saw this ad as an insult to the memory of a woman who was recently murdered on the TGV tracks. The deceased, Emilie Hallouin was allegedly tied to the TGV tracks by her husband and was run over by the train in northern France. But the local court saw none of that and said that the poster promotes no such violence against women in spite of its “doubtful” and “provocative” humour.
While the public raged against this advert, Bezier’s far-right Mayor, Robert Menard defended it by saying,
Faut-il interdire les milliers d'apologies du "féminicide" dans le cinéma, les dessins animés, les clips musicaux @MarleneSchiappa ? #LePolitiquementCorrectRendFou #Béziers #LGVOccitanieOui pic.twitter.com/AOIUQQhCEY
— Robert Ménard (@RobertMenardFR) December 12, 2017
“Should we ban thousands of examples of ‘feminicide’ in cinema, cartoons and music clips?” and shared images of other instances where such images were used in popular culture.”
Social media understandably didn’t take this decision too well and lashed out against the French court. Here are some of the reactions.
A controversial poster depicting a woman tied to train tracks did not promote anti-female violence, a French court has ruled.
To mark the arrival of high-speed TGV trains in Beziers last December, the posters were put up around the town With the TGV, she would have suffered less pic.twitter.com/XDeNBbCPus
— James E Daspit (@treasurecolecto) November 22, 2018
THE CAPTION IS LITERALLY 'with the TGV, she would have suffered less'. A woman DIED this way, four months earlier in a murder-suicide by her estranged husband! I hope her spirit haunts the creators, promoters & defenders of this ad to the point of insanity and beyond. https://t.co/miCKyXrqbE
— Missy Deyo (@MissyDeyo) November 23, 2018
Going to court to advocate ban of this ad is waste of time.
But surely I will think twice before taking any TGV train because of their sick mentality. Their feelings & human values certainly questionable.— Raja (@Santanus2015) November 23, 2018
Jesus. I mean, if it was an ad for something completely unrelated that happened to use that hoary old movie cliche imagery, you could almost understand it (while being incredibly misjudged). But no, the premise of the ad is literally "woman getting hit by the TGV". Awful. https://t.co/jnUhAy7M01
— Seb Patrick (@sebpatrick) November 22, 2018
This isn’t bad creative; it’s lazy creative.
The posters are for the arrival of high-speed TGV trains with the caption: "With the TGV, she would have suffered less."
They were launched after Emilie Hallouin died from being tied to TGV tracks by her husband & was hit by a train https://t.co/ebqhj6mx8f
— Kit Kansas (@kit_kansas) November 21, 2018
This is in very bad taste! (Béziers train poster: French court clears controversial ad)#RajenDevadason https://t.co/unWui0cQ6G
— Rajen Devadason (@rajendevadason) November 21, 2018
No.Words. Remember being shocked by some French ads in the 90s but that was not long after a degree with a heavily feminist slant. Given events earlier this year, this is even more upsetting. BBC News – Béziers poster: French court clears controversial ad https://t.co/KjkW6MnWW7
— Noisette (@the4ts) November 21, 2018
I don't see humour in this ad. I see a suffering human being. It is painful to watch. I don't understand why someone would want to associate their brand with this.
— Nancy Akullo (@nancy_akullo) November 21, 2018
I honestly don't get it. Not only is the ad repugnant, but it seems to imply she would have suffered less if it was the TGV… but it WAS the TGV?
What the hell france? What am I missing? No one gets your weird humor.
— Andrew Wade (@storiesandpages) November 22, 2018
#TGV @BBCWorld What a sadistic creative! Please replace the model of the ad with the person whose thought was behind it. Let the person who created it feel the brunt and be directly addressed for the cheap mentality. https://t.co/UW6y8rLNK1
— Viveksheel (@Vivek_Sheel_12) November 23, 2018
"Béziers train poster: Fr court clears controversial ad"
Sickening. Just sickening..
Launched 4 mos after 34yo mother of 4 Emilie Hallouin was tied to tracks by her husband, killed by train "she wld've suffered less if it'd been a TGV."#BoycottBéziershttps://t.co/1dfpUJh6dm pic.twitter.com/5GrrdLy7xH
— Gina InTheBurg (@GinaInTheBurg) November 21, 2018
Bizarre! is the world moving towards a dystopian future ? marketing at its low https://t.co/JOCGTSoL7d
— gokulnathan (@gokul24) November 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/honey_astrology/status/1065751712156274688
This CANNOT be real??? https://t.co/9V0Oh1N7vG
— Johnny Taylor ⚓🚢 (@the_able_seaman) November 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/oOSTVOo/status/1065742677709332480
The ad clearly shows how people can opt to lay someone down on TGV tracks so that they can kill them faster. And that’s not humourous from any given angle. Let’s hope this uproar reaches the courts and urges them to introspect once again.