Any of you itching to let off fireworks over the holiday season should watch this safety film that comes with love from us to you—because, no matter how big our fireworks are, we geeks need to take care. Here’s “jihadi group” the Liberation Army Against Freedom showing you how not to light your firecrackers this Christmas.
https://gizmodo.com/x-wing-rocket-launches-disintegrates-mid-air-307945
It’s actually a public safety film commissioned by the Dutch government to remind people of the dangers of fireworks. However, the viral has been slammed as insensitive and as insulting to Muslims by the boss of a marketing agency.
“What is the campaign hoping to achieve by depicting a negative stereotype of the Muslim community in a fireworks advert?” said Saad Saraf, the chief executive of Media Reach Advertising. “Are the producers aware that the actors in the advert are speaking in an Iraqi accent; with the current state of affairs in Iraq, I question, what were the creatives thinking?” said Saraf. Er, what creatives usually think: namely, what is the most efficient and eye-catching way of getting this message through, I reckon. Happy Winterval, people. [MediaGuardian]
