In the article “Honoring Sept. 11, With Care,” Stuart Elliott looks at how marketers are addressing the 9/11 anniversary:
For years, Madison Avenue steered clear of events that marked the anniversary of 9/11, anxious that any participation could be perceived as exploitive.
As the 10th anniversary nears, however, marketers, media companies and advertising agencies are changing course, involving themselves with sponsorships, screenings, fund-raisers, programming and other highly visible activities.
Those taking part include blue-chip names like American Express, AT&T, Best Buy, CBS, Chrysler, Clear Channel, Condé Nast, Discovery Communications, General Motors, Google, Home Depot, National Geographic, Time Warner, Verizon and The New York Times, which is publishing a commemorative section.
They say they are being particularly careful to be conscious of the meaning of Sept. 11, 2001, and avoid anything that could be deemed tasteless or crass.
But experts wonder whether the public will be able to draw a firm line between a television special and a 9/11 memorial wine; between commemorative publications and replicas of the Twin Towers that light up in red, white and blue; between advertisements asking for donations and ads for a health club offering first responders discount rates that expire on Sept. 11.
“We’ve been saying to people, there’s probably no right way to do this,” said J. Walker Smith, executive chairman at the Futures Company consultancy, which is to release this month a report on public attitudes toward 9/11.
“If I were a marketer, I would let the moment pass,” Mr. Smith said. “Anything you do could be seen as self-serving or disrespectful.”
Students: Tell us what you think about plans for commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11. How much is too much? What feels right? What feels wrong? Why?