The Ad Controversy Revealed the Power of Prejudices in Society
What would your reaction be if you saw a large advertisement featuring two people of colour with the text “Ihan lipun laitonta” (“Completely illegal ticket”), accompanied by an image of a forged ticket in the background? Many people have condemned the ad as racist, leading to a public uproar. Those criticizing the ad likely interpreted it as implying that the people of color featured in the ad are the ones who travel with forged tickets. Doesn't this suggest that people of color are being singled out as offenders? Or does this reaction reveal more about our own biases? This advertisement, published in August of last year, was part of HSL’s campaign aimed at reminding passengers that traveling with a forged ticket is illegal. The interpretation of the ad is always influenced by the viewer’s mindset and attitude. In my opinion, the controversy says more about people’s negative prejudices than it does about HSL’s failure to design the ad appropriately. I see it as a case where many p...