Saudi Arabia’s Domestic Abuse Ad “Advertising is the ability to sense, interpret... to put the very heart throbs of a business into type, paper and ink” by Leo Burnett. In the year of 2013, Scott Abbott did exactly that by publishing Saudi Arabia’s very first domestic violence ad. The slogan in the image was “Some things cannot be covered,” along with a list of telephone number to local domestic abuse shelters. The woman in the advertisement is wearing a burqa. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, burqa is defined as a loose enveloping garment that covers the face and the body and is worn in public by certain women of the Muslim faith. Even though she is wearing a burqa, her bruises cannot be hidden. In this particular picture, you …show more content…
The colors of her skin around they eye are red and purple, which is the color most people turn when they are hit hard. These colors mean something to people and that is why the creator of this ad used those specific colors. He did not make automatically give her a black eye. A black eye in this photograph would have caused be to find another ad. Red is the color of physical movement, it is motivational and requires people to act. Whereas purple is known for royalty and high powered individuals, but it can also mean sensitive and compassionate. Through Abbott’s use of color, he also made other individuals feel the pain. I took it upon myself to pass the ad around and see what the reaction and/or the comments would be like. My niece had the most interesting answer. She is only nine years old and she pointed out the fact that it does not matter that her eye is bruised because she is from a different country and they are allowed to fight. I must say that I was honestly shocked that she knew of domestic abuse being legal, but what surprised me even more was that she thought the abuse was okay.
What does this say about the American Culture? Domestic violence has forever and always been a major flaw in our society. As I stated in a previous paragraph and as you can see in the ad. The woman is wearing a burqa which represents the cultural artifact. Although she is representing her country, Saudi Arabia, she is also representing America in a way as well. Many people of the Muslim faith stay true to their religion and actually wear their attire in America, despite the harsh criticism they may