If you've strolled Seventh Avenue recently, perhaps you've come upon the ad featured above. Marc Jacobs for Barney's. A powerhouse team meant for the wealthy and chic. An attention-grabbing brick billboard that screams at you to buy from above the sidewalk. The only difference from just any old billboard is that Mr. Jacobs has placed this advertisement right above a 9/11 memorial.
I'm at odds here. I don't know if this is a miraculous feat of marketing or a disgusting use of national tragedy for monetary gain, but we can look at it either way. Alone, the signs in this ad point us in a clear connotative direction: bright, neon colors of pop art coerce us into knowing that Marc Jacobs has a modern and fun sense of style. We'll be the life of the party in these clothes. But location of the ad directly above the memorial spins this connotation on its head. The obvious emotional weight of these tiles places such stark contrast between the devastation of the Twin Towers and these funky and fresh clothes. The viewer is caught between past and future. The viewer is confused. I was confused.
It should be noted that you can't even so much as look at these tiles without having the neon orange of Marc Jacobs in the background. Of course we will "always remember" September 11th, 2001. But in this case, it may mean that we will always remember Marc Jacobs' name as well.
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