ethical graphic design in cause marketing communications

8/12/2019 Ethical Graphic Design in Cause Marketing Communications

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Ethical Graphic Design in Cause Marketing

Communications: Should Freelance Designers Make Moral

Judgements Regarding the Campaigns of Their ProspectieClients!

Student name: Russell Pro"se

Student #D: $%%&&'(%)

Date: **+%,+&%*,

The -niersit. of Salford


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/ist of Figures

Figure 1. Fish0urne1 T+ 2&%%34+ The cause marketing brandwagon 5Dra"ing6+ Retrieed

from http:77"""+tomfish0urne+com7images7&%%37%)7&&7%3%)&,cause+8pg

Figure 2. -nited Colours of 9enetton 2&%**4+ Unhate poster by United Colours of Benetton5dertisement6+ Retrieed from

http:77;dtorres+files+"ordpress+com7&%**7**70enetton


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Ethical Graphic Design in Cause Marketing Communications: Should Freelance Designers

Make Moral Judgements Regarding the Campaigns of Their Prospectie Clients!

Figure 1: =The Cause Marketing 9rand"agon= 2Source: Tom Fish0urne1 &%%34

#ntroduction

Cause marketing1 also kno"n as cause>related marketing1 or CRM1 can 0e defined as the

mutuall. 0eneficial partnership of a 0usiness "ith a non>profit organisation1 the purpose

of "hich is to assist in 0oth the 0usiness=s marketing1 and in the achieing of the non>

profit=s mission 2Da"1 &%%)4+ Figure *1 sho"n a0oe1 portra.s a c.nical interpretation of

this form of marketing1 and1 in doing so1 presents a snapshot of seeral ideas that "ill

hereafter 0e discussed 2Fish0urne1 T+ &%%34+ This essa. "ill refer primaril. to the role of

graphic design in CRM communications1 and moral philosoph. "ill proide a frame"ork

for the anal.sis of a case stud.1 0. "a. of specificall. considering the deontological

philosoph. of ?antianism+ ?antian ethics "ill 0e put for"ard as a possi0le 0asis upon


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"hich a moral 8udgement can 0e made+

The role of graphic design in CRM communications

Considering the 0road scope of the title @uestion1 a fe" li0erties hae 0een taken in thisessa. in order to simplif. discussion1 and there0. allo" the anal.sis of a more refined

ie"point+ For the sake of argument1 graphic design "ill henceforth 0e interpreted as 0eing

primaril. an adertising1 as opposed to an informatie1 ehicle+ CRM communications

0oth adertise and inform1 0ut it is especiall. interesting to note the "a.s in "hich

designers sell a compan.=s image through CRM+ Companies hae changed the "a. in "hich

the. desire to portra. themselesA in recent .ears1 the morals of a compan. hae 0ecome

central to their pro8ected 0rand image 2Sch"arB1 &%%;4+ Furthermore1 the isual

communication of these morals can 0e of a greater significance than perhaps one "ould

initiall. presume+ s Maud /ain 2&%%;4 descri0es:

ur culture is dominated 0. the isual1 so that mass>distri0ution image>makers

influence "hat political issues "e as a societ. discuss+ The. are a ke. factor in "h. our

culture talks so much a0out crime1 for instance1 and so little a0out a harder>to>picture

issue like future oerpopulation+ 2p+ *%34

nother li0ert. taken1 for simplification purposes1 is the forthcoming focus on freelance

graphic designers1 in particular+ There is a reason for this1 in that a graphic designer

"orking in a contractual position at a studio or agenc. could "ell find that their moral

ealuations are deemed to hae little to no releance to their "ork+ #f this "ere to 0e the

case 2"hich is1 perhaps1 most likel.41 the anal.sis of their moral 8udgements is argua0l. of

little importance1 0ecause their 8udgements "ould neer hae the means to 0e of

significant influence to their actions+

Deontolog.

The term deontolog. can 0e traced to the Greek "ords deon and logos1 "hich mean duty

and the science (or study of 1 respectiel.+ Deontic theories reole around "hat "e ought

to do "hen considering duties or rules1 and the. eamine "hich decisions are morall.

necessar.1 permitted1 or prohi0ited 2leander Moore1 &%*&4+ #mmanuel ?ant proposeda moral la" that "ould unconditionall. determine moral duties1 naming this the


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Categorical #mperatie 2Rohlf1 &%*%4+ For the purpose of this essa.1 attention "ill 0e

concentrated on the second formulation of his Categorical #mperatie:

So act that .ou use humanit.1 "hether in .our o"n person or in the person of an.

others1 al"a.s at the same time as an end1 neer merel. as a means+ 2?ant *((%1 p+ ,&(4

hen descri0ing this formulation in an article for the Stanford Enc.clopedia of

Philosoph.1 Johnson 2&%*,4 states that it is often interpreted as highlighting a notion of

respect for the humanit. of one another+ This idea of respect for the essential aspects of the

humanit. of others is of particular releance to the follo"ing case stud.+

Case Stud.: -nited Colours of 9enetton=s Unhate campaign

Figure 2: -nhate Poster 0. -nited Colours of 9enetton 2Source: ;Dtorres1 &%**4

=hat does -HTE mean! ->hate+ Stop hating1 if .ou "ere hating+ -nhate is amessage that inites us to consider that hate and loe are not as far a"a. from eachother as "e think+ ctuall.1 the t"o opposing sentiments are often in a delicate andunsta0le 0alance+ ur campaign promotes a shift in the 0alance: donIt hate1 -nhate+=29enetton1 &%**1 para+ *4


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The a0oe statement from -nited Colours of 9enetton details the rationale 0ehind their

-nhate campaign+ Figure & sho"s a poster that "as part of the adertising "ork for a CRM

campaign from -nited Colours of 9enetton 2hereafter referred to as -Co941 and their

-nhate Foundation 2;Dtorres1 &%**A 9enetton1 &%**4+ This foundation "as esta0lished 0.

the 9enetton Group1 "ho descri0e the foundation=s philosoph. 0. stating that it =seeks tocontri0ute to the creation of a ne" culture against hate1 0uilding on 9enettonIs

underpinning alues= 29enetton Group1 para+ *4+

The use of the "ord =supports= in the poster=s cop."riting is perhaps @uestiona0le1 for it is

possi0le to hae inferred through this "ord choice that -Co9 "ere particularl. promoting

their alliance "ith the -nhate Foundation as 0eing irtuous+ #f this is deemed to 0e the

case1 considering that the. themseles conceied this foundation1 is the irtuous

promotion of an alliance not manipulatie!

Regarding the poster=s representation of Pope 9enedict K#1 Katican spokesman Federico

/om0ardi released a statement1 in "hich he proclaimed it "as an:

a0solutel. unaccepta0le use of the image of the Hol. Father1 manipulated and eploitedin a pu0licit. campaign "ith commercial ends L 5"hich6 sho"s a grae lack of respectfor the pope1 an offence to the feelings of 0elieers1 a clear demonstration of ho"pu0licit. can iolate the 0asic rules of respect for people 0. attracting attention "ithproocation+ 2&%**1 cited in 99C e"s1 &%**1 para+ *&>*;4

#n his statement1 /om0ardi illustrates a distinctl. ?antian interpretation of the poster1 and

his statement can 0e seen to represent the potential of appl.ing fundamental aspects of the

second formulation of ?ant=s Categorical #mperatie to contemporar. contets+ /om0ardi

clearl. echoes the alues epressed in the formulation1 in that of not using humanit.

merel. as a means to an end and of respecting the essential humanit. of othersA hespecificall. mentions =ends=1 =respect=1 and =the 0asic rules of respect=+

Mahmud Ba0 2&%**41 a spokesman for the al>Bhar institute1 of "hich hmed el>Ta.e0 is

the Grand #mam1 "as also negatie1 in that he sa" the adertisement as reckless and

ridiculous+ Furthermore1 Ba0=s thoughts can perhaps 0e said to mirror that of the aerage

Eg.ptian in Eg.ptA not onl. is #slam the predominant religion of the countr.1 0ut research

carried out 0. the #nternational dertising ssociation concluded that Eg.ptians in Eg.pt

hae preiousl. 0een1 fundamentall.1 anti>adertising 2entB1 *((;1 cited in Mostafa1

&%**4+


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#n deciphering the imager. of Figure & from a ?antian perspectie1 it can 0e argued that1

not onl. "ere 0oth Pope 9enedict K# and hmed El>Ta.e0 used merel. as a means1 0ut

that some of their ke. attri0utes of humanit. "ere not respected1 and "ere instead used to

deli0eratel. prooke1 as means to1 ultimatel.1 reach the ends of promoting -Co9 through

shock adertisement+

#f this argument is to 0e accepted as true1 this no" leads us to the role sered 0. the

graphic designers in this adertisement+ The poster "as created 0. the cooperatie efforts

of -Co9=s communications research centre Fa0rica and the agenc. &andSunn.

29urgo.ne1 &%**4+ #n this poster and1 indeed1 the series of posters for the -nhate campaign1

photo>editing soft"are1 such as do0e Photoshop1 "ould hae 0een emplo.ed to

manipulate the prominent figures into the representation of their kissing+ [email protected]

the graphic designers "ho "orked on this poster pla.ed an integral role in eecuting the

pro8ection of its anti>?antian message+ -sing this role for anal.sis "hilst considering the

end>design and its reception1 "e can finall. 0egin to ans"er the deeper title @uestion

surrounding moral 8udgements+ Should freelance designers make moral 8udgements

regarding the campaigns of their prospectie clients!

rgua0l.1 the. can=t help 0ut do so1 een if the. are not a"are of this+ The -nhate

campaign portra.s the potential po"er of isual communication in CRM+ /et us pretend1

for the sake of argument1 that it "as actuall. a freelance designer "ho designed the poster+

Considering the designer=s presumed a"areness1 "hilst "orking on the design1 of the

strong likelihood of the campaign receiing some negatie reception once released1 and of

the integral role the. "ill hae pla.ed in causing this reception1 it can 0e suggested that

moral 8udgements of -Co9=s intended message are likel. to 0e hae 0een made 0. the

designer1 "hether or not the. "ould hae consciousl. formed these moral 8udgements1 due

to this ackno"ledged po"er of the isual communication+ #t is "orth noting that these

moral 8udgements could "ell hae sered to alidate the designer=s decision to "ork on the

campaign+

The title @uestion should therefore 0e refined1 0ased on this conclusion1 to considering the

releance of moral 8udgements to a designer "hose ethical stance opposes that of one of

their prospectie client=s+ #f "e suppose1 for the sake of eample1 that a particular freelance

designer could 0e categorised as haing distinctl. ?antian alues1 and that this designer "as to hae the potential to "ork on an adertisement as profoundl. anti>?antian as the


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-nhate campaign 2.et "ithin another set of circumstances41 should their moral

8udgements influence their decision on "hether or not to undertake the client in @uestion!

lthough 0e.ond the scope of this essa.1 this @uestion is intriguing1 and it is "orth

discussing 0riefl.+

Some designers "ould ineita0l. ans"er it 0. sa.ing1 =.es=+ Speaking "ith regard to design

education1 ?atherine McCo. contends that =too often our graduates and their "ork emerge

as charming manne@uins1 oiceless mouthpieces for the messages of entrilo@uist clients=

2*((;1 McCo.1 cited in Heller1 S+1 Kienne1 K+1 &%%;1 p+34+ Referring 0ack to Figure &1 "ith

some anal.sis the counter>intuitie argument can 0e made that the "ork "as indeed that

of a oiceless designer+ The client=s intended message inoled manipulating a

photographic image in such a "a. that it appeared unaltered1 ergo1 there could 0e no trace1

at all1 of the designer=s oice "ithin the image1 merel. the shocking oice central to the

concept of the campaign+ The additional design elements to the poster "ere necessaril.

uno0trusie and minimal1 so as to not impede on this a0ilit. of the photographic image to

shock+ Thus1 the designers of this campaign "ere1 themseles1 used as a mere means to an

end+

Conclusion

# hae sho"n that graphic design is central to the issues "e discuss in societ.1 and that its

true po"er in isuall. communicating1 through the adertising in CRM1 rests not in the

information it cone.s to ie"ers1 0ut rather in the emotions it triggers in them+ Graphic

design is1 fundamentall.1 a partnership 0et"een creator and ie"er1 and it is often "ithin

the su0conscious anal.sis of this partnership that designers are likel. to find themseles as

haing morall. ealuated the essence of their clients= messages and 0usiness practices+ #

hae discoered that the real @uestion to ans"er relates to "hether or not these moral

8udgements should hae a practical place in the professional contet of graphic design

0usiness1 and1 if so1 to "hat etent the. are realisticall. applica0le+ Nuestions of this nature

are philosophical1 and it is through m. philosophical anal.sis in this essa. that m.

essentiall. pro>?antian ie"point1 in relation to the second formulation of his Categorical

#mperatie1 has 0een presented+ # encourage designers to decide for themseles a

deontological ie"point1 0ecause from self>applied rules the. "ill hae greater confidence

in the moralit. of their 0usiness practices+


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References

leander1 /+ Moore1 M+ 2&%*&4+ Deontological Ethics+ #n Ed"ard + Oalta 2Ed+41 The

!tanford "ncyclopedia of #hilosophy 2inter &%*& ed+4+ Retrieed from

http:77plato+stanford+edu7archies7"in&%*&7entries7ethics>deontological79enetton Group+ 2&%**4+ Retrieed *; pril1 &%*,1 from

http:77"""+0enettongroup+com7archie7press>release7unhate>pro8ect

9urgo.ne1 P+ 2&%**1 *) o4+ 9enetton "ants the "orld to -HTE+ 5e0log6+ Retrieed

from http:77"""+creatiereie"+co+uk7cr>0log7&%**7noem0er70enetton>unhate

Da"1 J+ 2&%%)4+ Cause marketing for nonprofits$ partner for purpose% passion% and

profits. e" Jerse.: John ile. Sons+

Johnson1 R+ 2&%*,4 ?ant=s Moral Philosoph.+ #n Ed"ard + Oalta 2Ed+41 The !tanford

"ncyclopedia of #hilosophy 2Spring &%*, ed+4+ Retrieed from

http:77plato+stanford+edu7archies7spr&%*,7entries7kant>moral7

?ant1 #+ 2*((%4+ Foundations of the metaphysics of morals. 2&nd ed+A /+ hite1 Trans+4+

e" ork: MacMillan+ 2riginal "ork pu0lished *3'4+

/ain1 M+ 2&%%;4+ ho gets to sa. "hat to "hom! #n Heller1 S+1 Kienne1 K+ 2Eds+41 Citi&en

designer$ perspecti'es on design responsibility 2pp+ *%)>**%4+ e" ork: ll"orth

Press+

McCo.1 ?+ 2*((;4+ Design as a social and political force+ #n Heller1 S+1 Kienne1 K+ 2Eds+41

Citi&en designer$ perspecti'es on design responsibility 2pp+ &>34+ e" ork:

ll"orth Press+

Mostafa1 M+ 2&%**4+ n inestigation of Eg.ptian consumers= attitudes to"ard ethical

issues in adertising+ ournal of promotion management 1 1)% pp+ ,&>)%. doi:

*%+*%3%7*%,(),(*+&%**+'';)

Rohlf1 M+ 2&%*%4+ #mmanuel ?ant+ #n Ed"ard + Oalta 2Ed+41 The !tanford "ncyclopedia of

#hilosophy 2Fall &%*% ed+4+ Retrieed from

http:77plato+stanford+edu7archies7fall&%*%7entries7kant7

Sch"artB1 J+ 2&%%;4+ Sociall. responsi0le adertising: altruism or eploitation! #n Heller1

S+1 Kienne1 K+ 2Eds+41 Citi&en designer$ perspecti'es on design responsibility 2pp+

&'>;*4+ e" ork: ll"orth Press+

-nited Colours of 9enetton+ 2&%**4+ Retrieed *; pril1 &%*,1 from

http:77unhate+0enetton+com7galler.7chinaimam kissing ad+ 2&%**1 * o4+ BBC news+ Retrieedfrom http:77"""+00c+co+uk7ne"s7"orld>europe>*'3;


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ethical graphic design in cause marketing communications

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