While Adora’s recent window display demanding that consumers “Take A Stand” on the RH Bill is certainly commendable for broaching a controversial issue, one has to wonder whether it was effective at all in doing anything other than calling attention to its own lack of stance. During the display’s rather awkward unveiling in Greenbelt 5 last week, passersby noticed a text-heavy banner fronting one of the store windows early Wednesday morning. If you took the time to read the fine print, the banner highlighted many of the scientifically-baseless reasons the anti-RH camp claim for the dismissal of the bill, including that sex education and the availability of contraceptives will lead to the perversion of society and an upsurge in sexually transmitted diseases.
Now this was enough to get people on the networks riled up and ready to rumble, but the display hadn’t been finished yet and in the afternoon, the whole spread was ready: Adora was on sale, and Missoni-clad mannequins sported shopping bags that read either “I am anti-RH Bill” or “I am pro-RH Bill.” Interestingly, they were also blindfolded with bandanas that said “SALE” and if that was part of the commentary, it was as if they were, like Lady Justices, weighing out the pros and cons of the debate, but shopping eventually wins out. When it comes to the RH issue, many people have already chosen their sides and taken their stands. Whether their positions are based on misinformation and propaganda is, presently, the bigger issue.
A successful example of retail activism — in terms of money and media — is Selfridges’ recent “Project Ocean” campaign in London, which featured an integrated program of creative fashion exhibits and thought-provoking window displays, including one littered with confiscated coral, recreating the devastation of our seas. The Food Hall gave cooking demos using fish certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, and in the basement customers could watch films and listen to lectures on the environment and overfishing. The funds the department store raises for Project Ocean, which at the latest was pegged at £96,217, will incidentally go to setting up marine-protected areas here in the Philippines (probably where all that coral came from!) via Project Seahorse, an NGO that trains local coastal communities in sustainable aquaculture practices. Thank you, British high street shoppers in your slouchy Katherine Hamnett tees!
Retail activism is proving to be the way to move already mildly conscious shoppers into direct action. But without any real direction behind the marketing, the placards and the printed T-shirts, consumers will be savvy enough to realize that retailers are just capitalizing on controversy.