Amazon Plastered The New York Subway With Nazi Imagery In Worst Marketing Idea Ever
As marketing campaigns go, covering the New York subway with Nazi imagery must surely come under ‘Never Ever Go There’.
But that’s exactly what Amazon has done - and New Yorkers are not hugely impressed.
The internet giant is pushing its new drama, Man In The High Castle, which takes the question ‘What if the Nazis had won?’ and runs with it.
As the show imagines an alternate present where the US is under German and Japanese rule, plastering subway carriages with imperial imagery may have seemed like a good idea in a marketing meeting.
The ads fall short of daubing swastikas all over the place but do feature a reference to the Nazi iron cross (which takes the place of the stars in the American flag) and the rising sun imagery used by the Japanese empire during World War II.
In another online ad, the Statue of Liberty is seen giving a Nazi salute.
The subway ads will run on a single shuttle train from November 15th to December 14th.
An MTA spokesman defended the company’s decision to allow the advertising.
Adam Lisberg told the Gothamist, “[Our] updated standards prohibit political advertisements. Unless you’re saying that you believe Amazon is advocating for a Nazi takeover of the United States, then it meets the standards. They’re advertising a show.”
Amazon is staying quiet on the matter.
New Yorkers aren’t, though, with many taking to Twitter to voice their disapproval.
Although the one response we’re all waiting for is yet to arrive:
All images: Katherine Lam on Twitter
