Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Tysons Corner ad shocks Vietnam vets [Mockery of Vietnam Memorial]
Washington Examiner ^ | Michael Neibauer

Posted on 06/09/2009 12:54:57 PM PDT by RatherBiased.com

Prominent Vietnam veterans and their families are appalled by an advertisement for a major local mall that shows a woman in front of a wall that strongly resembles the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, with the names of the center’s stores appearing instead of the names of the war dead.

Tysons Corner Center reacted quickly to condemnation from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and ordered the immediate removal of 440 of the ads from the Metrorail cars where they have been posted, mall spokeswoman Allison Fischer said Tuesday afternoon.

The Tysons ad features a black granite wall engraved with a list of shops over the slogan, “It’s time to defrost.” The store names are presented in virtually the same font on a highly reflective surface like the Vietnam Memorial. There is an image in the background of a what could be a rose, a flower commonly left at the Wall.

“There’s no question my generation will see this as The Wall,” said Marshall Carter, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange and a veteran of two tours in Vietnam. “There’s no getting around it. It jumps right off the page.”

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: ads; fairfaxcounty; mall; memorialwall; retail; tysonscorner; vietnamvets
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last
To: SJSAMPLE

I think The Wall has been a failure in the eyes of those who designed it.

I think it was meant to be hated, as it was in the beginning.


41 posted on 06/09/2009 1:23:12 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (Overproduction, one of the top five worries for the American farmer.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: RatherBiased.com
They have received more attention from the controversy then they paid for it.
42 posted on 06/09/2009 1:24:29 PM PDT by Brytani (DC Freeper Convention and National Tea Party - FreepMail Me for rooms and convention info!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RatherBiased.com
What's next, having a picture of mall shoppers posed to look like the Marines who raised the flag at Iwo Jima?

There are many ways to use a black wall with light text and not make any allusions to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Had this ad used a different font and not used the diamond to delineate the words no one would have made any connection at all.

43 posted on 06/09/2009 1:27:21 PM PDT by pnh102 (Regarding liberalism, always attribute to malice what you think can be explained by stupidity. - Me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RatherBiased.com
Can anybody do or say anything without causing an OutRage anymore?

As GranPa Jone used to say "Outrageous!"

44 posted on 06/09/2009 1:28:20 PM PDT by BallyBill (Serial Hit-N-Run poster)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FourPeas
"There are at least a few people in an ad agency and a property management firm somewhere who don’t have a clue. "

Nope! Nothing "clueless" involved in this desecration. This was an intentional act.

You can see the same sort of messages throughout all the textbooks used in the government brainwashing institutions that most of the government's children attend.

45 posted on 06/09/2009 1:30:53 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is another agitator for republicanism like Sam Adams when we need him?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Owl_Eagle
This isn't a case of it being similar. It's not evocative. It's vaguely identical.

It takes a lot of effort to do something that dumb.

46 posted on 06/09/2009 1:31:17 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (June 4, 2009 - the day Barack Obama threw all of America under the bus.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: pnh102
Here's my take on how this ad concept came to be:

The ad was brainstormed a couple of months ago, when DC was still snowed under in a late spring, so they came up with a "Spring on the DC Mall" concept and then belched out the lame head "It's time to defrost."

Then they handed this off to the production artist, who was instructed to come up with some stock photo combining fashion and the DC Mall in the spring.

He came up with the model imposed over the Vietnam wall, with the flowers reflecting on it. there were likely other alts, such as the cherry blossoms, or the washington monument, but this one looked best with the whole black on black thing.

Some "creative" director (or mall marketing manager) said, "Hey, could we replace the names on the wall with our store names?"

And there you have it. Sad thing is, this ad passed through many, many hands in the approval process before it turned up on the buses.

47 posted on 06/09/2009 1:33:08 PM PDT by ponygirl ("Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: RatherBiased.com

“True Religion”?

Is that a reference to True Religion Brand Jeans?

I had to look it up online to even see what they sold. I was certain that it couldn’t be theological.


48 posted on 06/09/2009 1:33:44 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (June 4, 2009 - the day Barack Obama threw all of America under the bus.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mister Muggles

The Left is “anti-price war”. You work. You wait in line. You buy loaf of bread, comrade. Next month you buy something to go on bread you bought.


49 posted on 06/09/2009 1:35:23 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (June 4, 2009 - the day Barack Obama threw all of America under the bus.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: RatherBiased.com

It’s copying The Wall. With a dumb tagline. Overall rating: Fail.

I remember when they built Tysons Corner.


50 posted on 06/09/2009 1:40:11 PM PDT by visualops (portraits.artlife.us or visit my freeper page)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SJSAMPLE
When the wall was approved, it was universally derided by veterans and veterans groups. Overall, the design was HATED. ...However, it was visiting veterans and the actual interaction with the wall that made it popular and meaningful.

I agree. When I first saw the design I thought it was awful, along with pretty much everybody else. Then I started to hear people say that you have go there to get it. Finally years later I did go to DC and got to see it in person, and I have to say that it was uniquely powerful.

51 posted on 06/09/2009 1:42:11 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: RatherBiased.com

[Shakes head as mouth opens and closes repeatedly]: I...I...just don’t even know how to respond to this kind of utter thoughtlessness and lack of respect...well, in any way that’ll keep me out of the hoosegow.

Colonel, USAFR


52 posted on 06/09/2009 1:42:17 PM PDT by jagusafr (Kill the red lizard, Lord! - nod to C.S. Lewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: theDentist

It’s the product of a new generation that has reverence for nothing.


53 posted on 06/09/2009 1:42:35 PM PDT by SoDak (Molon Labe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: RatherBiased.com

One vote for over the line, and I have a pretty thick skin about this sort of thing. Got some friends’ names on the real thing. Could have been me.


54 posted on 06/09/2009 1:43:32 PM PDT by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Apple Blossom; theKid51; ourusa

ping


55 posted on 06/09/2009 1:43:47 PM PDT by bmwcyle (Obama is an illegal alien)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Owl_Eagle

Think about this, though, it’s not like just one person created this ad. It would’ve had to have been created, approved, and reviewed by the ad agency, and then reviewed and approved by the marketing dept. of Tysons.

And if any one of them had had any military service or family who have served, wouldn’t the thought, “this just isn’t right”, have at least flitted across his/her mind?

Colonel, USAFR


56 posted on 06/09/2009 1:43:59 PM PDT by jagusafr (Kill the red lizard, Lord! - nod to C.S. Lewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: RatherBiased.com

Y’know, you’d think, considering that this mall is less than fifteen miles from the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, that SOMEBODY at Tysons would’ve looked at it and said, “Uh, guys, this may not be the best idea...”

If they tweaked the font and removed the reflectivity, they’d probably be able to get away with it. As it is, it’s hard not to think that it’s an intentional play on the Wall, for whatever reason. It’s just stupid.

}:-)4


57 posted on 06/09/2009 1:44:50 PM PDT by Moose4 (Hey RNC. Don't move toward the middle. MOVE THE MIDDLE TOWARD YOU.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RatherBiased.com

Almost certainly the “idea” of some characterless 20 something idiot ad firm whizkid whose only knowledge of the sacrifices made to keep him in his 6 figure “job” was accidentally catching a glimpse of a trailer for “Band of Brothers” while switching channels from VH1 to MTV.

He probably campaigned for another idiot with similar values named Obama.

My God. HOW HAVE WE FALLEN SO FAR SO FAST???


58 posted on 06/09/2009 1:45:24 PM PDT by Dick Bachert
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HIDEK6

I didn’t know I could laugh my ass off and nod vigorously in agreement at the same time! Serious consideration for post of the day, HIDEK6! And thanks...

Colonel, USAFR


59 posted on 06/09/2009 1:46:19 PM PDT by jagusafr (Kill the red lizard, Lord! - nod to C.S. Lewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

Comment #60 Removed by Moderator


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson