H/T Dick Puddlecote for drawing this to my attention.
On Monday I mentioned that Bandit Brand, a small American clothing company, had been criticised by the tobacco control industry in New Zealand after a student called Claire McCool (sic) saw a BB poster featuring a model smoking a cigarette.
According to one (inaccurate) report, the poster "shows a teenage girl with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth".
The owner of Bandit has now replied with this almost perfect riposte:
First of all Kelley Ash (the model in the poster etc) is in her 20's, not a teenager.
Secondly I totally get where you are coming from and I don't smoke now but I did as a teenager and I didn't start because ad's made it look cool, I started because I was bored and there was nothing for a girl that wasn't into sports etc to do after school.
Third I don't ask my models to smoke, if the smoke they smoke and we shoot all of our shoots with friends and basically have a party at my house and the photographer takes photos. I would never ask someone to smoke for a photo for my brand, that is ridiculous. These are consenting adults.
I have a 20 year old son who smoked and it drove me crazy (he has quit and I am proud of him) but he is also intelligent enough not to smoke because he saw someone in a band smoke or .... Lets please Give kids more credit than that. The problem of kids smoking, drinking and doing drugs almost always stems from boredom, lack of creative things to do in our communities, parents setting shit examples and/or lack of parental guidance.
Fourth no one gives a shit if a model is eating a cheeseburger!!?? which not only is unhealthy and full of chemicals but also causes the suffering of another living being. No one cares if a hot dog made of pigs ass holes and lips is in a photo shoot... I don't give a shit if humans die of something they did to themselves, thats on them not me.
and LAST probably about 100th of the people would have seen this photo but now you have promoted it all over your countries newspapers and websites. WAY TO GO.
Now that's how to respond to the nanny state brigade.
I also love some of the comments on Bandit's Facebook page:
"You do NOT have to explain yourself. Fuck them!"
"Any publicity is good publicity I say. The controversy will more than likely work in your favour. Who doesn't love a brand with attitude, originality and not to mention non conforming. I have quite a few of your items and I will continue to purchase. Love your work :)"
"I'm also enjoying that they pointed out the models are tattooed... Cos that's a problem!"
"Hello, BANDIT brand! Screw those turds!"
PS. Bandit's address is Freedom, California.
Image: Bandit Brand