Unicef Bombs Smurfs - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Cynthetiq · 10-11-2005, 03:59 PM

Quote:

UNICEF Bombs Smurfs in Anti-War Campaign
By HELENA SPONGENBERG, AP
LINK
BRUSSELS, Belgium (Oct. 11) - Smurfette is left for dead. Baby Smurf is left crying and orphaned as the Smurf's village is carpet bombed by warplanes - a horrific scene and imagery not normally associated with the lovable blue-skinned cartoon characters.

UNICEF / IMPS / Peyo / AP
"Don't let war destroy the world of children," is the theme of UNICEF's ad campaign, featuring the cartoon Smurfs.

These are the scenes being shown as part of a new UNICEF ad-campaign on Belgian television.

"It's working. We are getting a lot of reactions and people are logging on to our Web site," UNICEF Belgium spokesman Philippe Henon said Tuesday.

The Belgian office of the U.N. children's fund said it has decided to use the creations of late Belgian artist Peyo to shock a complacent public into backing its fund-raising efforts for ex-child soldiers in Africa.

The 20-second video commercial clip now being shown on Belgian TV aims to show that war can happen in the most innocent of places, Henon said.

"We get reactions from all over the place," said Henon. "People are shocked and want to know the reasons behind this cartoon image."

The appeal is meant to raise money for UNICEF projects in Burundi, Congo and Sudan, Henon said. However, due to its graphic and disturbing scenes, this cartoon is not for everyone. The advertisement is aimed at an adult audience and is only shown after 9 p.m. to avoid upsetting young Smurfs fans.

The video is peacefully introduced by birds, butterflies and happy Smurfs playing and singing their theme song when suddenly out of the sky, bombs rain down onto their forest village, scattering Papa Smurf and the rest as their houses are set ablaze.

The bombs kill Smurfette leaving Baby Smurf orphaned and crying at the edge of a crater in the last scene of the video and finishing of with the text "don't let war destroy the children's world."

It calls on viewers to donate.

UNICEF traditionally uses real life images of playing and laughing children but decided to change it for something that would shock people, Henon said.

"We wanted to have lasting effect of our campaign, because we felt that in comparison to previous campaigns, the public is not easily motivated to do things for humanitarian causes and certainly not when it involved Africa or children in war," he said.

Henon added that UNICEF would never cross the line and film real-life war scenes in its appeals.

The UNICEF campaign was launched Friday with the Smurf TV spot and will last until April.

"We see so many images that we don't really react anymore," said Julie Lamoureux, account director at Publicis, an advertising agency that drew up the campaign for UNICEF Belgium. "In 35 seconds we wanted to show adults how awful war is by reaching them within their memories of childhood."

The Smurf ad will be followed by similar ad in November to promote UNICEF's "let children live in peace" campaign.

French children's program Martine and the children's song "Au Clair de la Lune" will be presented with changed lyrics.

10/11/05 12:18 EDT

Quote:

"We see so many images that we don't really react anymore," said Julie Lamoureux, account director at Publicis, an advertising agency that drew up the campaign for UNICEF Belgium. "In 35 seconds we wanted to show adults how awful war is by reaching them within their memories of childhood."

Well, this to me is a bit over the top. It gets the message to the younger generation and also those that had grown up on Smurfs. It started a discussion here, and at least gained some news column inches.

Elphaba · 10-11-2005, 05:18 PM

I only have a passing awareness of Smurfs, but I have a visceral reaction that would be similar to seeing real children in this situation. It is probably true that many of us are in compassion overload simply trying to help in the many natural calamities that have occured in the last year. Perhaps "shock" advertising will work in drawing attention to child victims of unnatural circumstances, but I'm not convinced that this was a wise decision.

maleficent · 10-11-2005, 05:54 PM

I'm having a hard time taking this seriously -- I get the message intended but....

Oh and the fact that Smurfette had baby-- I'm not sure that the little trollop was married

I don't think this will sit well with some organizations...

lurkette · 10-11-2005, 06:00 PM

Call me jaded but I just can't see this being effective. It's getting some attention, but really, I don't think it's all that shocking. Maybe that's a sad commentary on what it takes to shock me, or sad commentary on our culture that seeing live children suffer the ravages of war is not enough to get our attention, but mostly I think it's just a weird publicity stunt, albeit for a good cause.

politicophile · 10-11-2005, 07:18 PM

A: "People just aren't paying attention to our fundraising efforts. We need a way to convey the horror of child soldiers to the general public."

B: "Did you say child soldiers?"

A: "Yes. That's what this fundraising is about, remember?"

B: "And children like Smurfs, right?"

A: "Riiiiight..."

B: "So if we show the public images of Smurfs being bombed, maybe they will imagine that children are being bombed!"

A: "Uh, maybe. Don't you think that it would be easier to show images of children being bombed?"

B: "No, silly: children don't have children."

A: *sigh*

B: "Smurfs it is!"

Gatorade Frost · 10-11-2005, 07:31 PM

I think I'd get a kick out of watching a video where people bombed the smurfs. It just seems so far out there that it's laughable.

ryfo · 10-11-2005, 07:35 PM

Has anyone ever watched the cartoon series of the smurfs? You'd wanna bomb 'em after sitting thru it.

ziadel · 10-11-2005, 10:34 PM

This from a country whose arms factories have supplied both sides in a conflict with weapons? (not that theres anything wrong with it, but you'd think the belgians would realize that war has its benefits. freedom from an opressive regme, like the nazis for instance comes to mind)

europe just seems so wacky to me. I gotta go over there and figure out if its me, or them.

Suave · 10-11-2005, 11:26 PM

I find that picture to be unintentionally comical. Good job UNICEF.

aKula · 10-11-2005, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziadel

This from a country whose arms factories have supplied both sides in a conflict with weapons? (not that theres anything wrong with it, but you'd think the belgians would realize that war has its benefits. freedom from an opressive regme, like the nazis for instance comes to mind)

europe just seems so wacky to me. I gotta go over there and figure out if its me, or them.

This is from UNICEF not from the Belgian government, it's just being screened on Belgian television.

Xazy · 10-12-2005, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

I'm having a hard time taking this seriously -- I get the message intended but....

Oh and the fact that Smurfette had baby-- I'm not sure that the little trollop was married

I don't think this will sit well with some organizations...

Wow what scares me more is the fact now that Smurfette is dead, all the smurfs have no choice.. they cannot be straight anymore, either way no new smurfs

Nisses · 10-12-2005, 03:33 AM

Ziadel:

it's us probably

See there's this cynicism going on, we've seen most of it, we've heard most of it, so hell, we'll just sell the stuff we have to who wants it and that'll be that.

In fact, if we had the technology, we'd sell em clone warriors too, that way, the rivalling sides only have to point which way to shoot, provided they have the money for our goods.

Cuz we're greedy like that

Poppinjay · 10-12-2005, 04:35 AM

I knew things would go to hell for the Smurfs once Gargamel obtained yellow cake uranium.

lurkette · 10-12-2005, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poppinjay

I knew things would go to hell for the Smurfs once Gargamel obtained yellow cake uranium.

Mmmmm....yellow cake.

/going to hell

mrklixx · 10-12-2005, 06:33 AM

This is better:

Se7en Smurfs

Ustwo · 10-12-2005, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Germany to charge Gargamel with war crimes.
By Engelbert Humperdinck, AP

War Criminal?

Gargamel and several other high-ranking UNICEF officials could be tried in Germany for war crimes committed in The Enchanted Forest.

On Nov. 30, the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and four Smurf citizens filed a criminal complaint with the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe, Germany.
The complaint was brought under the German Code of Crimes against International Law (CCIL), enacted in 2002, which grants German courts "Universal Jurisdiction," or the right to prosecute such cases across national borders, regardless of the location of the crime or the accused. The four Smurf plaintiffs in this case claim they were subject to sadistic physical and psychological torture in a old mayonnaise jar in Gargamel’s laboratory. None were ever charged by UNICEF with a crime.

The charges against the UNICEF officials include violations of the German criminal code addressing "War Crimes against Characters," which outlaws killing, torture, cruel and inhumane treatment, sexual coercion and forcible transfers. The Code holds criminally responsible those who commit such acts as well as those who induce, condone or order them. It also makes commanders liable who fail to prevent their subordinates from committing such acts.

Representatives from CCR are calling Karlsruhe "a court of last resort." UNICEF courts are not legally obligated to prosecute all cases, whereas German courts are required to prosecute any case provided there is enough evidence. Because UNICEF has refused to join the International Criminal Court, no case can be made against UNICEF citizens there. In the face of the Gargamel’s persistent refusal to address the culpability of those in higher command during the mayonnaise jar scandal, and because the UNICEF has made its citizens immune from prosecution in The Enchanted Forest, litigants have little recourse other than to take the case to Germany.

Berlin-based lawyer Wolfgang Kaleck is representing the CCR in Germany. Kaleck has done similar work, including filing genocide and torture charges against Jiang Zemin, the former president of China, and representing the victims of Argentina’s Dirty War. Aside from the well-documented evidence of abuse in the mayonnaise jar, including scrolls from Gargamel sanctioning torture.

The case could prove to be a thorny issue for German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder ,whose administration is attempting to repair relations in the wake of its bitter dispute with the UNICEF over the invasion of The Enchanted Forest. Others fear "another Belgium"--referring to the UNICEF threats last year to remove UNICEF headquarters from Brussels if Belgium allowed war crimes charges against Azreal, then-commander of coalition forces in The Enchanted Forest, to be heard there. Belgium ultimately amended its law to keep the case from going to court.

Anticipating intimidation tactics or not, Ratner says that following the announcement of CCR’s case, "the German media coverage was excellent and both the national and international PR conferences were well attended." UNICEF is saying that torture is humane. It means that war is peace," he says. "But the rest of the world sees that the emperor has no clothes."

This is rather shocking to me, and I do hope Gargamel is brought up on charges as he should be!

StanT · 10-12-2005, 07:23 AM

Those funny white hats look a bit like turbans to me.

Time to issue a fatwa against UNICEF.

skier · 10-12-2005, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

Oh and the fact that Smurfette had baby-- I'm not sure that the little trollop was married

I don't think this will sit well with some organizations...

Well, when you're the only female in a village full of guys, you can afford to keep your options open...

10-12-2005, 08:47 AM

Can anyone find a link to the actual video itself?

Bill O'Rights · 10-12-2005, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lurkette

...seeing live children suffer the ravages of war is not enough to get our attention...

That was my first thought.
images of real children suffering is ineffectual. Therefore, images of fantastical cartoon characters being ravaged will illicit sympathy. I'm sorry, that's just pathetic.

Oh...and by the way...I recall those little blue-balled beasts from the 80's. Didn't like 'em then, don't like 'em now. So overall...I'd say that the campaign is a dismal failure. You're fired! Next!

StanT · 10-12-2005, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill O'Rights

Oh...and by the way...I recall those little blue-balled beasts from the 80's. Didn't like 'em then, don't like 'em now.

Same here, if they created a game where you could bomb them yourself, I'd play.

flstf · 10-12-2005, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

Well, this to me is a bit over the top. It gets the message to the younger generation and also those that had grown up on Smurfs. It started a discussion here, and at least gained some news column inches.

To a generation raised playing violent video games this campaign will seem comical. I think something like Johnson's "Peace Little Girl (Daisy)" commercial done in 1964 is more effective and even that would probably seem mild today.

Peace Little Girl (Daisy) (Direct link to the video)
Livingroom Candidate (Link to the website, 2nd from top left)

FunkyLamb · 10-12-2005, 02:22 PM

Smurf you. You smurfin' UNICEF smurfs. You will smurf the day that you decided to smurf the Smurfs.

iccky · 10-12-2005, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill O'Rights

That was my first thought.
images of real children suffering is ineffectual. Therefore, images of fantastical cartoon characters being ravaged will illicit sympathy. I'm sorry, that's just pathetic.

Oh...and by the way...I recall those little blue-balled beasts from the 80's. Didn't like 'em then, don't like 'em now. So overall...I'd say that the campaign is a dismal failure. You're fired! Next!

I dunno, is it pathetic because that's what they're doing or pathetic because that's what it takes to get through to people?

I mean, how many of you gave to Sally Struthers when she was surrounded by true human suffering. Hate to say it bu tmost people just block out bad news about Africa as too depressing. Now bomb our childhood memories... I think it might work.

Likely, they were not allowed to show images of what land-mine victims or wounded child soldiers actualy look like on TV.

Suave · 10-12-2005, 11:20 PM

iccky: The footage of real children suffering is much harder on me than a bunch of cartoons. The problem with charities is that there are far too many of them, and they all want some of your money or time. The constant badgering doesn't affect the sympathy I feel for people who are suffering, but it does severely decrease my desire to respond to a particular charity when there have been a dozen who've already solicited me that week.

Nimetic · 10-13-2005, 07:02 AM

I think it's a head-turner for sure.

It's a really strong image. Scary, but for a good cause.

On a lighter note - I'm also wondering if there's a Smurfs Tsunami, Smurfs Hurricane and a Smurfs Earthquake. Hmm. Not to dwell overmuch on it but Smurf Sierra Leone and Smurf Rwanda would be real nasty.

Don't think it would work for road safety.... Seeing smurfs flying out of a smurf car would probably just just be funny.

FatFreeGoodness · 10-14-2005, 01:20 PM

I met someone at work with an ID tag “Deberrie Smerfette”, which appeared to me to be pronounced “De berry Smurfett”. She told me that it was actually pronounced as if it was spelled “DeBeer Smurfae”, but most people pronounced as I had, and she was used to it. After I got to know her a bit I asked if she was too young to have heard of the “smurfs”, or if it had ever caused her grief.
She said it was MUCH worse than I could imagine.
She had married into the name. Her maiden name was “Blue.”

De Berry Blue Smurfett.

Oh my.

SERPENT7 · 10-31-2005, 10:34 AM

The first time i saw the smurfs was at a discussion forum. WE were talking about propaganda, and the best way to get a given (Political) idea out to kids.
The speaker presented a french cartoon about a german 'folk' story called 'johan and the quest of the magical flute'. You guessed it, it was all about the smurfs. For those of you who might not know it, the magic flute is a masonic parable. (Same thing goes for the opera of the same name.)
I don't know how they made the leap to prime time, but i do know the magic flute thing preceded them by almost 10 years.

iccky · 11-01-2005, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suave

iccky: The footage of real children suffering is much harder on me than a bunch of cartoons. The problem with charities is that there are far too many of them, and they all want some of your money or time. The constant badgering doesn't affect the sympathy I feel for people who are suffering, but it does severely decrease my desire to respond to a particular charity when there have been a dozen who've already solicited me that week.

I don't think UNICEF wants your money or your time here. I think they want to raise awareness about the problem (there's no "ask" in the ad, no call for you to give time or money or even contact a representative).

Maybe it isn't as effective for you, though studies show that ads people claim to hate aren't necessarily ineffective (negative political ads, for instance, are universaly reviled but actually drive up turnout). But I would be willing to guess that the grand majority of people will change the channel the second a real landmine victim comes on the screen (assuming such an ad could make it on the air). Even if they watched it, they'd probablly file it away with all of the other Awful Things In The World and block it or forget about it. The smurfs ad is different, and thus gets around these developed defense mechanisms and gets people's attention (it certainly got ours). Like it or not, it's a successful ad.

Funnel · 11-01-2005, 10:32 PM

This is the coolest video ever, although, i dont think it will strike a nerve with anyone but the smurf fan club. I think it is ridiculous to think that smurfs will make people want to help. They could use real bombing footage i have seem some of that on a private tape from Iraq and that is scary enough to make anyone give the shirt off their back.

10-11-2005, 05:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	I'm having a hard time taking this seriously -- I get the message intended but.... Oh and the fact that Smurfette had baby-- I'm not sure that the little trollop was married I don't think this will sit well with some organizations... __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

10-11-2005, 06:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
lurkette My future is coming on Moderator Emeritus Location: east of the sun and west of the moon	Call me jaded but I just can't see this being effective. It's getting some attention, but really, I don't think it's all that shocking. Maybe that's a sad commentary on what it takes to shock me, or sad commentary on our culture that seeing live children suffer the ravages of war is not enough to get our attention, but mostly I think it's just a weird publicity stunt, albeit for a good cause. __________________ "If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." - Anatole France

10-11-2005, 07:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
politicophile Addict	A: "People just aren't paying attention to our fundraising efforts. We need a way to convey the horror of child soldiers to the general public." B: "Did you say child soldiers?" A: "Yes. That's what this fundraising is about, remember?" B: "And children like Smurfs, right?" A: "Riiiiight..." B: "So if we show the public images of Smurfs being bombed, maybe they will imagine that children are being bombed!" A: "Uh, maybe. Don't you think that it would be easier to show images of children being bombed?" B: "No, silly: children don't have children." A: sigh B: "Smurfs it is!" __________________ The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. ~John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

10-11-2005, 07:31 PM	#6 (permalink)
Gatorade Frost Rookie	I think I'd get a kick out of watching a video where people bombed the smurfs. It just seems so far out there that it's laughable. __________________ I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face." I said, "You'll be sorry." He said, "Oh, yeah? Why?" I said, "Well, you won't be able to get into the corners very well." Emo Philips

10-11-2005, 10:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
ziadel Myrmidon Location: In the twilight and mist.	This from a country whose arms factories have supplied both sides in a conflict with weapons? (not that theres anything wrong with it, but you'd think the belgians would realize that war has its benefits. freedom from an opressive regme, like the nazis for instance comes to mind) europe just seems so wacky to me. I gotta go over there and figure out if its me, or them. __________________ Ron Paul '08 Vote for Freedom Go ahead and google Dr. Ron Paul. You'll like what you read.

10-11-2005, 05:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
Elphaba Deja Moo Location: Olympic Peninsula, WA	I only have a passing awareness of Smurfs, but I have a visceral reaction that would be similar to seeing real children in this situation. It is probably true that many of us are in compassion overload simply trying to help in the many natural calamities that have occured in the last year. Perhaps "shock" advertising will work in drawing attention to child victims of unnatural circumstances, but I'm not convinced that this was a wise decision.

10-11-2005, 07:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
ryfo Psycho Location: melbourne australia	Has anyone ever watched the cartoon series of the smurfs? You'd wanna bomb 'em after sitting thru it.

10-11-2005, 11:26 PM	#9 (permalink)
Suave Twitterpated Location: My own little world (also Canada)	I find that picture to be unintentionally comical. Good job UNICEF. __________________ "Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." - Albert Einstein "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato

10-12-2005, 03:33 AM	#12 (permalink)
Nisses Shade Location: Belgium	Ziadel: it's us probably See there's this cynicism going on, we've seen most of it, we've heard most of it, so hell, we'll just sell the stuff we have to who wants it and that'll be that. In fact, if we had the technology, we'd sell em clone warriors too, that way, the rivalling sides only have to point which way to shoot, provided they have the money for our goods. Cuz we're greedy like that __________________ Moderation should be moderately moderated.

10-12-2005, 04:35 AM	#13 (permalink)
Poppinjay You had me at hello Location: DC/Coastal VA	I knew things would go to hell for the Smurfs once Gargamel obtained yellow cake uranium. __________________ I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet

10-12-2005, 06:33 AM	#15 (permalink)
mrklixx President Rick Location: location location	This is better: Se7en Smurfs __________________ This post is content. If you don't like it then you are not content. Or perhaps just incontinent. This is not a link - Do not click here I hate animated avatars.

10-12-2005, 07:23 AM	#17 (permalink)
StanT © Location: Colorado	Those funny white hats look a bit like turbans to me. Time to issue a fatwa against UNICEF.

10-12-2005, 08:47 AM	#19 (permalink)
zen_tom Guest	Can anyone find a link to the actual video itself?

10-12-2005, 02:22 PM	#23 (permalink)
FunkyLamb Crazy Location: New Orleans, LA	Smurf you. You smurfin' UNICEF smurfs. You will smurf the day that you decided to smurf the Smurfs. __________________ FunkyLamb There's a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.

10-12-2005, 11:20 PM	#25 (permalink)
Suave Twitterpated Location: My own little world (also Canada)	iccky: The footage of real children suffering is much harder on me than a bunch of cartoons. The problem with charities is that there are far too many of them, and they all want some of your money or time. The constant badgering doesn't affect the sympathy I feel for people who are suffering, but it does severely decrease my desire to respond to a particular charity when there have been a dozen who've already solicited me that week. __________________ "Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." - Albert Einstein "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato

10-13-2005, 07:02 AM	#26 (permalink)
Nimetic Junkie Location: Melbourne, Australia	I think it's a head-turner for sure. It's a really strong image. Scary, but for a good cause. On a lighter note - I'm also wondering if there's a Smurfs Tsunami, Smurfs Hurricane and a Smurfs Earthquake. Hmm. Not to dwell overmuch on it but Smurf Sierra Leone and Smurf Rwanda would be real nasty. Don't think it would work for road safety.... Seeing smurfs flying out of a smurf car would probably just just be funny.

10-14-2005, 01:20 PM	#27 (permalink)
FatFreeGoodness Tilted	I met someone at work with an ID tag “Deberrie Smerfette”, which appeared to me to be pronounced “De berry Smurfett”. She told me that it was actually pronounced as if it was spelled “DeBeer Smurfae”, but most people pronounced as I had, and she was used to it. After I got to know her a bit I asked if she was too young to have heard of the “smurfs”, or if it had ever caused her grief. She said it was MUCH worse than I could imagine. She had married into the name. Her maiden name was “Blue.” De Berry Blue Smurfett. Oh my.

10-31-2005, 10:34 AM	#28 (permalink)
SERPENT7 Crazy Location: Gold country!	The first time i saw the smurfs was at a discussion forum. WE were talking about propaganda, and the best way to get a given (Political) idea out to kids. The speaker presented a french cartoon about a german 'folk' story called 'johan and the quest of the magical flute'. You guessed it, it was all about the smurfs. For those of you who might not know it, the magic flute is a masonic parable. (Same thing goes for the opera of the same name.) I don't know how they made the leap to prime time, but i do know the magic flute thing preceded them by almost 10 years.

11-01-2005, 10:32 PM	#30 (permalink)
Funnel Upright	This is the coolest video ever, although, i dont think it will strike a nerve with anyone but the smurf fan club. I think it is ridiculous to think that smurfs will make people want to help. They could use real bombing footage i have seem some of that on a private tape from Iraq and that is scary enough to make anyone give the shirt off their back.