Advertising and evangelism
PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD, the illegal advertising hoarding commands me.
“Fuck off”, I reply.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, the sign continues, undeterred.
I pass by, angered by the rudeness of an unknown evangelist interrupting my train of thought with a crude threat during what is otherwise a fairly calm and relaxing drive. Whatever became of this announced crackdown on motorway advertising?
Later, I stop at Moto services. What with food price rises and the bursting of the housing bubble, a unappetising bite at motorway services can set you back nearly 27% of the value of the average home, so I decide just to make use of the facilities. Whilst doing so, I read the advert above the urinal. It informs me that the coffee shop doesn’t just serve coffee, but that “frappés” are also available. There is a photo of an iced strawberry drink. So far, so dull. But the disclaimer that intrigues me: “Photo for illustration purposes only”. I wonder what other purpose a photo would serve, and what legal protection the advertisers think the disclaimer affords them. I am not about to mistake a photo for the real thing. This is quite clearly not a frappé, but a picture of a frappé (and come to think of it, I wouldn’t drink from a frappé I found above a urinal in the gents anyway). Of course the photo is for illustration purposes. And presumably saying so does not negate the requirement for it to be an accurate illustration. So why the disclaimer?
When I return to my car, I wonder if a disclaimer could be added to the Christian hoarding. “Implicit threat for rhetorical purposes only”, perhaps.