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Ten questionable marketing tactics using the 9/11 tragedy ...

http://www.businessinsider.com/10-ads-exploiting-the-911-attacks-2012-9?op=1


The water awareness one is fair comment. It is taking ultimately the 2 most notorious disasters of history equally and comparing them to the deaths caused by bad drinking water, maybe to save a few lives ?

I think it is wrong to be promoting one's business off of the back of 9/11. I would say it would be appropriate to sponsor an advertisement that memorizes 9/11 but mentions the sponsor, but does not feature any of the "pros" of buying their product (like it only says brought to you buy amce company for example).

Another ad compares smoking ...

"Terrorism-related deaths since 2001: 11,377. Tobacco-related deaths since 2001: 30 million."


The water ad ...

According to the ad, the sinking of the Titanic + the attack on the World Trade Center is still less tragic than the lack of drinking water in the world. The ad explains, "Non-drinking water kills 8 millions persons a year."

There is nothing sacred about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Many events in history have had more casualties, been more tragic, etc. There is no need to self-censor 9/11 related content.

To be honest, these are really effective advertising ideas.
A Jumper/Sweater company used similar tactics of shock and their profits skyrocketed due to how effective these adverts were. one of their adverts, they captured an AIDS victims last breath and put an understated logo of their company next to it.
Horrific, Incredible and effective advertising.

There is something sacred about it, though. This is not the sanctity that the ultra-nationalistic quasi-fascist crowd lends to it, but the due respect it deserves as a real and senseless tragedy.

Some things ought not to be appropriated in this way. Is it good and right to use imagery of genocides and wars to promote drinking water? Is it acceptable to exploit the drama of epidemics and pestilence to sell vitamin C? Is it effective advertisement, or is it simply depravity?

If it makes more money for the company than other advertisements they could have done instead, then it's good advertisement. Likely only the marketing departments of the companies in question have relevant data on the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns. If the ad is too offensive to too many people then it will backfire and will be quickly changed. If it's effective then it will stick around.

Don't worry, I understand this cold logic very well. I suppose it can be both effective advertisement and depravity.

They missed this one

http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/29700000/imagine-no-religion-atheism-29778243-640-600.jpg

If you don't like the ads the most powerful thing you can do is NOT buy the product being advertised or buy anything from the company doing the advertising.

Vote with your wallet and things will change...

Not surprising to see something like this happen when you consider the amount of drug adds that claim to be the next be thing. Then a few months later there are the commercials that ask if you've used the same drug.  Warning you to file a lawsuit because the drug makes you die a horrible death...  This is actually pretty tame compared to the drug companies if you ask me.  Disgusting and deceptive advertisements using fear tactics, while  trying to appear patriotic to fleece people into spending. 

Good job pointing this out it's is always good to alert others of such shady marketing tactics.

I think 9/11 was an event that should be used as a lesson for the whole world, not just to be a slogan, which is on the ad to the ad sales price elevates, even if the tragedy of 9/11 put into the ad, the ad should set aside some profits to help the victims of the tragedy
This is a social ethic that should be done, hopefully the tragedy of 9/11 could be a lesson for us all ...  :'(

Sadly no lessons have been learned from 9/11. Same policies that led to it still continue.

The ads are insensitive and trivialize the loss of so many families. I wouldn't say they are all inappropriate: The smoking ad in particular strikes me as though-provoking and shocking, but in a way that accomplishes the intended goal. Some of the ads though are just exploiting a tragedy for sales. The arthritis ad in particular.

As for The Courrier International's ad, wtf? Seriously what is the point? It's like they wanted to use 9/11 but couldn't find a good reason to do so. Is it supposed to be funny? I'm only laughing at TCI.

The victims of 9/11 were basically all innocent and did nothing to the people that killed them. Also a good percentage of the victims died because they were trying to save others' lives.

The other tragedies that are worse then 9/11 are also not commercialized nor should they be just like 9/11 should not be

Were they anymore innocent than people who are murdered in Pakistan now by drone strikes? Or people who died during invasions of Afganistan and Iraq?

Whoa.  3k+ people doesn't even come close in the ranking.

These people were not intentionally killed. They were collateral damage. Precautions were taken to try to prevent their deaths but it was not possible to avoid them all. The people who died on 9/11 were specifically targeted as a means to install fear among people in the US. There is a huge difference!

How do you know that there wasn't any enemy combatants killed during the operation? There must have been plenty of men and women(western equality) between ages of 18 and 60(best healthcare in the world). 

I don't have any problem with the ads using 9/11 to raise awareness of other tragedies ... the water shortage one is good.