Balloons And Slogans Make The Baby P Brand
DOES grandstanding on Baby P serve any useful purpose?
The Sun, which has made a land grab for Baby P’s resting place and all but renamed Baby P “Our Baby of Hearts”, features the release of balloons in the child’s honour.
It trills:
“Blue balloons soared heavenwards across Britain at 12:10pm yesterday – the exact time 16 months ago that Baby P was declared dead.”
Is 16 months an anniversary? Is David Dimbleby now the voice of the Sun? Substitute the words “Baby P” for “Princess Diana“. Are we suffering from mourning sickness?
The Sun mentions Angelica Terzoli, leader of the “Baby P crusade”.
She wants to “remember Baby P and the plight of other children who are suffering.”
No harm there. In helping us to think of child abuse neighbours and teachers may be more vigilant.
But aren’t balloons and slogans the stuff of marketing? The mums have a brand: “July ’07 Mummies.”
The Sun would like these people to be its readers. It’s all about market positioning. And Baby P is the Sun’s blonde-haired marketing tool. It’s a campaign.
It’s all so slick and contrived that readers begin to wonder who authentic the Sun is being.
Can all the hacks in the paper’s Whapping HQ believe in the paper’s campaign to own Baby P? Is there no-one at the Sun who looks at the pictures of weeping dads and caring mums on days out with the kiddies and sees irony in the Sun’s message to “Rest in Peace”?
Is the Sun’s narrative now overshadowing the campaign against child abuse? And if it is, then what purpose in grandstanding?
Posted: 4th, December 2008 | In: Key Posts, Media Comments (12) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
- Possum O'Blossom on I’m A Celebrity: Katie Price To Marry ‘Dumped’ Alex Reid In Jungle
- coolandcalm on I’m A Celebrity: Katie Price To Marry ‘Dumped’ Alex Reid In Jungle
- ged on I’m A Celebrity: Katie Price To Marry ‘Dumped’ Alex Reid In Jungle
- ged on I’m A Celebrity: Katie Price To Marry ‘Dumped’ Alex Reid In Jungle
- mike on I’m A Celebrity: Katie Price To Marry ‘Dumped’ Alex Reid In Jungle
December 7th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Children shouldn’t have to depend on the NSPCC for their safety and wellbeing or any charity come to that.
It should be a given that children are safe in modern society, and with contraception making parenthood a choice now, and not a consequence, cruelty should not be happening.
A long time ago a child near me was being abused, I reported the mother, and eventually the child was removed
December 7th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
if the nation wants to mourn for englands severe lack in child protection and a poor so soul that was failed then let them all i ask is you who are getting on your high horse are you donating to the nspcc??? and how would you feel if a child you knew was so mistreated ?? i know a balloon dosnt do much for baby p now but its a nice way to pay your respects .
December 4th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
of course I meant to say WERE my mothers….. tut tut
December 4th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I love Southwold Amber. Big and chunky, set in silver.
I have some Jet earings and a necklace that was my mothers but they are old-fashioned in style.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
But worth it - I love Whitby Jet.
December 4th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Jet is bloody expensive these days
December 4th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
It’s all in the sacred cause of getting News International’s share price up; our Rupert has lost several billion dollars on his stake in News International since the financial markets tanked, and the Sun is in desperate need of people prepared to pay for it.
At a pinch we might be able to re-launch the Whitby jet mourning jewellery market…
December 4th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
they’re having a wake ? hip hop, or shake rattle and roll ?
December 4th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Its all sensationalism and the ‘mourning sickness’ that was encouraged over Diana, and the MM angst and hype too.
The Victorians used to go a ton on death and some quite morbid souvenirs too, and yet life was so mean and hard and cheap.
As C&C says donating to the NSPCC would be a more fitting option, after all BabyP cannot come to the Suns party, can he?
December 4th, 2008 at 10:54 am
morning c and c, agree with you on the donation to the nspcc.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Oooohh. I was fristed
December 4th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Yep. Mourning Sickness!
The only almost good thing is that there was supposed to be a co-ordinated blue balloon release across the country but most were cancelled due to lack of interest.
All the money wasted on balloons and banners and firing up the GBP would have been better donated to the NSPCC or similar. Shame on The Sun.