A couple weeks ago, I was driving along a major road here in Muscat and noticed a new billboard that has been eating at me for some time now.
First, I'll say that billboards are a very new addition to Muscat. When we moved here just three years ago, there were almost none, except the occasional promotional billboard during elections or local events. Since those first few years, we have seen them slowly come in around town. Major stores and malls continue to come in to Oman, adding more and more consumerism (sadly) and Western influence into the culture here.
While the billboards, in general, don't bother me too much. This one did.
I looked up this advertisement online and found out it's a part of a new multiple ad series campaign GAP has. While it is possibly fitting in the US, here, in my opinion, it's offensive and sending a strong message. (I would find it offensive in any country where very traditional dress still exists).
This is the image on the billboard with the logo and wording.
For the middle east, the non-Muslim/Arab woman (actress Elisabeth Moss) is dressed appropriately. I see many women here, mostly expats, wearing things like this. Well, probably not such a heavy jacket, but the skinny pants, flats, and blouse are appropriate.
But what I find offensive is the campaign logo of "Dress Normal".
The underlying message of this campaign in the middle east is "all of you in abayas and dishdasas (the Omani male traditional outfit) are not dressing normally". Maybe it doesn't come across that way on the surface when you first look at it, or if one doesn't think much of it, but I can't help think that subconciously, the Arab youth are picking up this message that their country's traditional way of dressing is not "normal" or appropriate. And we know how easily influenced and swayed youth in any country can be.
The wording also touches into the already sensitive issue to non-Muslims that women wearing the abaya is wrong, despite it's deeply rooted connections in Islam and the belief to have women covering their bodies to protect men from being overcome by sexual desires. I wonder what a woman in an abaya driving down the same street as me is thinking when she sees this billboard telling her to "dress normal" and that clearly is not in an abaya.
It's sad enough to see the Western world already coming into such lovely, traditional countries around the world like Oman and influencing them so much already in their diets, dress, and way of lives, but to see messages being sent to counter their cultures, their beliefs, and their deeply rooted mores is ultimately disturbing.
And honestly, this ad campaign bugs me for the US culture as well because ultimately, the message is, if you aren't wearing GAP, you aren't normal. This article does a good job summing it up:
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/gaps-new-celebrity-ads-tell-us-dress-normal-what-does-mean-exactly-159703
What do you think?
First, I'll say that billboards are a very new addition to Muscat. When we moved here just three years ago, there were almost none, except the occasional promotional billboard during elections or local events. Since those first few years, we have seen them slowly come in around town. Major stores and malls continue to come in to Oman, adding more and more consumerism (sadly) and Western influence into the culture here.
While the billboards, in general, don't bother me too much. This one did.
I looked up this advertisement online and found out it's a part of a new multiple ad series campaign GAP has. While it is possibly fitting in the US, here, in my opinion, it's offensive and sending a strong message. (I would find it offensive in any country where very traditional dress still exists).
This is the image on the billboard with the logo and wording.
For the middle east, the non-Muslim/Arab woman (actress Elisabeth Moss) is dressed appropriately. I see many women here, mostly expats, wearing things like this. Well, probably not such a heavy jacket, but the skinny pants, flats, and blouse are appropriate.
But what I find offensive is the campaign logo of "Dress Normal".
The underlying message of this campaign in the middle east is "all of you in abayas and dishdasas (the Omani male traditional outfit) are not dressing normally". Maybe it doesn't come across that way on the surface when you first look at it, or if one doesn't think much of it, but I can't help think that subconciously, the Arab youth are picking up this message that their country's traditional way of dressing is not "normal" or appropriate. And we know how easily influenced and swayed youth in any country can be.
The wording also touches into the already sensitive issue to non-Muslims that women wearing the abaya is wrong, despite it's deeply rooted connections in Islam and the belief to have women covering their bodies to protect men from being overcome by sexual desires. I wonder what a woman in an abaya driving down the same street as me is thinking when she sees this billboard telling her to "dress normal" and that clearly is not in an abaya.
It's sad enough to see the Western world already coming into such lovely, traditional countries around the world like Oman and influencing them so much already in their diets, dress, and way of lives, but to see messages being sent to counter their cultures, their beliefs, and their deeply rooted mores is ultimately disturbing.
And honestly, this ad campaign bugs me for the US culture as well because ultimately, the message is, if you aren't wearing GAP, you aren't normal. This article does a good job summing it up:
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/gaps-new-celebrity-ads-tell-us-dress-normal-what-does-mean-exactly-159703
What do you think?
