How many of you would leap at the chance to see Nazi symbology on your way to work?
Advertisement
The seats of the 42nd St shuttle have been covered with the imagery by Amazon to promote its new TV series, The Man in the High Castle.
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. Riders criticized the choice saying, “I think draping your subway in Nazi paraphernalia and calling it advertising is a bad decision”.
The promotion for the show, which be available for streaming in January, will be emblazoned on the subway until December 14.
“The updated standards prohibit political advertisements”, Lisberg said. “That’s why they’re in advertising”, Mr Lisberg said. Users accused both Amazon and the MTA of promoting Nazi ideology and anti-Semitic feelings with the ad campaign.
That same year, an ad for Bravo’s A Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce was banned on buses in both NY and Los Angeles for “inappropriate material”. On the train, seeing the American flag paired with a Nazi symbol is viscerally offensive, because there is no context as to what it means.
Those MTA advertising standards also call for the agency to “Maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all MTA employees and customers”. The fact that the flag is spread across the seats only compounds the effect.
Advertisement
The pilot went on to become the most viewed and highest rated in Amazon’s history, so it’s no surprise that Amazon has launched a multi-million dollar ad campaign to support its show that premiered just last week.
