On Wednesday, Chloë Grace Moretz used Twitter to condemn the advertising campaign for her upcoming movie, Red Shoes & the 7 Dwarfs. The campaign was previously slammed for body shaming. It was criticized by people from all over the world for the message that it sends.
The movie has had a controversial marketing
The upcoming film, Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs, chose Cannes to unveil the marketing for the movie. However, it took an unexpected turn. A controversial billboard promoting the animated film was displayed at the prestigious festival. The film is supposed to celebrate diversity and empower people to love their own skin. But the marketing showed something totally contrary to that.
The controversial billboard showed two women, one tall and thin, the other shorter and heavier, and the words, “What if Snow White was no longer beautiful and the 7 dwarfs not so short?” The controversy really hit on Tuesday, when Tess Holliday, a plus-size model, shared a photograph of the billboard calling out the body shaming message.
While discussing the campaign with ET, Holliday said her first reaction was horror. She added, “I had to look at it to see if it was real because I couldn’t wrap my head around if that was a real movie poster in 2017.”
The model also stressed the fact that the movie’s message is addressed to kids and young girls making the whole campaign a disaster. She also expressed that the message gives kids the message that “plus size is not beautiful.” Also, it was clearly perpetuating the beauty stereotypes and sending the wrong message.
She said, “it’s just sending a message that they’re not OK the way that they are or someone in their life isn’t. Which is obviously really damaging.”
Chloë Grace Moretz had something to say about the movie’s marketing
On Wednesday, actress Chloe Grace Moretz stepped in to also denounce the shady marketing. The actress lent her voice to Snow White’s character. And was clearly aware of the controversy and awful message the billboard sent. Moretz said the marketing wasn’t approved by her or her team and that she’ll make the movie’s team know about it.
The actress also expressed that it was a terrible mistake and offense. Asking people to not cast away the movie. Since is an empowering and beautiful story. “I lent my voice to a beautiful script that I hope you will all see in its entirety.”
The ad was pulled out on Wednesday, and the film’s producer, Sujin Hwang, issued a statement apologizing for the campaign. Hwang stressed the fact that the movie carries a message designed to challenge social prejudices, related to social beauty standards. He finally added, “We appreciate and are grateful for the constructive criticism of those who brought this to our attention.”
What’s ‘Red Shoes’ actually about?
According to the synopsis, Red Shoes is a parody film about Snow White living on Fairy Tale Island. “A celebrity world” where you’re judged by how you look and how much you weigh.
This is why she wears a pair of magical red shoes that make herself look skinnier. This story also includes Princes are turned into the seven dwarfs by a curse. The only way the dwarfs can go back to being Princess is by kissing the most beautiful girl in the island.The movie follows Snow White trying to find her lost father. Presumably with the dwarfs alongside her. In the journey, she learns to accept and celebrate who she is, both inside and out.
The original teaser presented the film as a parody, where Snow White was objectified for her body. It included a scene showing her undressing in her room, in full view of some peeping dwarfs. Who became visibly horrified when they realized taking off her shoes, meant Snow gaining weight. Another teaser featured her presumably love interest viciously attacking the sleeping Snow White to get access to her red shoes.
So, how come the message of the film it’s good and empowering, but the campaign turned out so wrong? Red Shoes & the 7 Dwarfs does not yet have a U.S. distributor. The marketing materials might never have seen eyeballs outside the cloistered industry audience at Cannes.
But the dust-up—and Moretz’s ability to respond to it quickly via Twitter—shows how all marketing materials have to be ready to face a connected and global audience.
Source: NY Times