Basel and Geneva block spot on trafficking in women
The commercial against trafficking in women, which premiered this week, cannot be shown everywhere: In the public viewing zones of the two host cities, Geneva and Basel, the film will not be shown or will only be shown with restrictions. The campaign's sponsors speak of censorship and are convinced that the cities are clamping down for image reasons.
The commercial against trafficking in women, which premiered this week, cannot be shown everywhere: In the public viewing zones of the two host cities Geneva and Basel, the film will not be shown or will only be shown with restrictions. Geneva had refused from the outset, as the Tages-Anzeiger reported on Friday. In Basel, after a screening of the spot, it was decided that it should only be shown after 11pm. The sponsors of the campaign, including Amnesty International Switzerland and Heks, are outraged by the decision and speak of censorship. In Basel, the commercial is shown at a time when the last spectators are leaving the stands.
Christoph Bosshardt from the Euro 08 project management in Basel explains the decision to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper with the protection of children: "We find the film relatively harsh. That's why we don't want to show it in the afternoon when children are in the zones." Bosshardt added to Werbewoche that spots from various organizations are shown free of charge on the big screen in Basel: from the ICRC, the Office against Racism and a clip against littering. "We have to find a place for everyone. For the anti-trafficking film, we think the evening is the best time to show it, because that's when the target group can be easily reached."
He defends himself against the accusation that the broadcast after 11 p.m. takes place "to the exclusion of the public": "Our fan zones are open until midnight and on Basel match days until 2 a.m. and still offer a program." However, Bosshardt also signaled a willingness to accommodate: One option would be to show the commercial during the interval of the last match of the day, i.e. at around 9.30 pm. Whether this option gets the green light will be decided over the course of next week.
Pius Walker, who developed the film with his Walker advertising agency, does not accept the child protection argument: "The commercial hardly shows any physical violence: the brutality takes place in the mind. It's not understandable for children and therefore not threatening." He sees the argument from Basel as a cop-out: "It's much more about the organizers censoring the commercial for the sake of economic interests: They don't want to upset advertisers and don't want to jeopardize the atmosphere at the events." The issue of trafficking in women seems to be the real reason for not wanting to show the commercial. It does not fit in with the image cultivation of the two cities, according to the organizations behind the campaign.
Bosshardt also contradicts this: "It's not about economic interests, because the campaign spots are not in competition with the commercial advertising spots and there are no conditions for this, and it's also not about the festive atmosphere, because otherwise we wouldn't broadcast the spot at all." The assumption is that there will be a festive atmosphere, especially after the games.
The commercial can be shown in Bern and Zurich: it will be shown on the big screens in the fan zones before the games. In the city on the Limmat, however, the decision in favor of the campaign was a close one. Mayor Elmar Ledergerber was even personally briefed on the campaign by the Walker advertising agency. For once, Uefa has no reservations either, and will show the commercial free of charge in all stadiums as a form of support. The commercial will also be shown on Swiss television and on the big screens of 11 UBS arenas.
Christoph Bosshardt from the Euro 08 project management in Basel explains the decision to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper with the protection of children: "We find the film relatively harsh. That's why we don't want to show it in the afternoon when children are in the zones." Bosshardt added to Werbewoche that spots from various organizations are shown free of charge on the big screen in Basel: from the ICRC, the Office against Racism and a clip against littering. "We have to find a place for everyone. For the anti-trafficking film, we think the evening is the best time to show it, because that's when the target group can be easily reached."
He defends himself against the accusation that the broadcast after 11 p.m. takes place "to the exclusion of the public": "Our fan zones are open until midnight and on Basel match days until 2 a.m. and still offer a program." However, Bosshardt also signaled a willingness to accommodate: One option would be to show the commercial during the interval of the last match of the day, i.e. at around 9.30 pm. Whether this option gets the green light will be decided over the course of next week.
Pius Walker, who developed the film with his Walker advertising agency, does not accept the child protection argument: "The commercial hardly shows any physical violence: the brutality takes place in the mind. It's not understandable for children and therefore not threatening." He sees the argument from Basel as a cop-out: "It's much more about the organizers censoring the commercial for the sake of economic interests: They don't want to upset advertisers and don't want to jeopardize the atmosphere at the events." The issue of trafficking in women seems to be the real reason for not wanting to show the commercial. It does not fit in with the image cultivation of the two cities, according to the organizations behind the campaign.
Bosshardt also contradicts this: "It's not about economic interests, because the campaign spots are not in competition with the commercial advertising spots and there are no conditions for this, and it's also not about the festive atmosphere, because otherwise we wouldn't broadcast the spot at all." The assumption is that there will be a festive atmosphere, especially after the games.
The commercial can be shown in Bern and Zurich: it will be shown on the big screens in the fan zones before the games. In the city on the Limmat, however, the decision in favor of the campaign was a close one. Mayor Elmar Ledergerber was even personally briefed on the campaign by the Walker advertising agency. For once, Uefa has no reservations either, and will show the commercial free of charge in all stadiums as a form of support. The commercial will also be shown on Swiss television and on the big screens of 11 UBS arenas.
