Obama/McCain...Nature Magazine's unfortunate covers

[jundp 191]

Has the American presidential campaign gone to the dogs?

One could be forgiven for thinking so after seeing the latest issue of Nature magazine.

The world's leading scientific journal has featured a powerful image of John McCain and Barack Obama on its front cover. The pair radiate statesmanlike-authority, the image is suitably sombre for the weighty interview inside.

Then, however, you see the back cover.

In an unfortunate choice, advertisers placed there an image of two labrador pups - one black, one golden, in an uncanny mirror image of the grave image on the front.

The dogs strike eerily similar poses to Barack Obama, the first black American presidential candidate for a major political party, and his Republican rival John McCain, tanned golden brown from the Arizona sun.

The journal swears it is horrified by the coincidence.

"We didn't know until the issue landed on our desks," Nature pleaded to the media.

"It just goes to show that editorial and advertising aren't working in cahoots."

Source

[jundp 191]

I'm trying to find this in the stores right now. It would be a great example of what NOT to do when we get to advertising in my media class

[symbiosis 0]

Has the American presidential campaign gone to the dogs?

One could be forgiven for thinking so after seeing the latest issue of Nature magazine.

The world's leading scientific journal has featured a powerful image of John McCain and Barack Obama on its front cover. The pair radiate statesmanlike-authority, the image is suitably sombre for the weighty interview inside.

Then, however, you see the back cover.

In an unfortunate choice, advertisers placed there an image of two labrador pups - one black, one golden, in an uncanny mirror image of the grave image on the front.

The dogs strike eerily similar poses to Barack Obama, the first black American presidential candidate for a major political party, and his Republican rival John McCain, tanned golden brown from the Arizona sun.

The journal swears it is horrified by the coincidence.

"We didn't know until the issue landed on our desks," Nature pleaded to the media.

"It just goes to show that editorial and advertising aren't working in cahoots."

Source

the dogs actually look smart and inquisitive

[IAMX 3,055]

If only American citizens could make them do the tricks they do for the media and corporations.

[jundp 191]

I just think it's hilarious how advertising didn't consult with anyone before running that ad! Or maybe they did and the editors are just pretending it's a gaffe?

[HAL 9000 96]

I just think it's hilarious how advertising didn't consult with anyone before running that ad! Or maybe they did and the editors are just pretending it's a gaffe?

Trust me they're not that clever at Nature!

[Aubrey 10]

The designers still have a hand in choosing cover photos/layout... that "coincidence" should've been caught by them. Shameful!

[maliciant 7]

Marketting is a cut throat industry, and well, I'm sure politics doesn't reduce that in any way. This is probablyl a good example of good advertising, it'll get more attention this way. As far as the magazine apologizing... for what? This is anything from a slick bit of advertising to an accidental coincidence, either way, there is nothing derogatory about it, as far as I can tell, both canidates are portrayed equally in this regard. Personally I think that issue of the magazine just became a collectors item.

Does anyone see a reason why any kind of apology is needed from the magazine or the advertisers here? To me if anyone is horrified by this, I assume it's because we've been conditioned to be far too sensitive to insulting one race over an other (ie it's not OK to portray Obama as a black dog but it is OK to portray McCain as a dog... the McCain dog should probably be white, which is not a normal color for labs, or the Obama dog should be a chocolate lab so that the colors were more accurate... the McCain dog really does have similar color to McCain's image).