From Ms Z. Bugeja
I am writing to express my concern about the image of Malta that is being portrayed in the MTA viral spot, an advert created by Media Consulta and brought to the public’s attention in last week’s edition of The Malta Independent on Sunday.
As someone who has a strong patriotic streak, a love for tourism and particularly in my capacity as a journalist, I often think about which of Malta’s assets I would feature in a tourism campaign, even more so in the light of the ‘Brand Malta’ debate.
I admit that I can understand where this viral spot idea came from: Maltese women are undeniably one of the islands’ strongest attractions and I agree with the concept of targeting English-speaking men. But what could have been hinted at very subtly and tastefully (among at least some other attractions) has been given the Benny Hill touch, where you portray the woman as nothing more than an object and the man as a bumbling middle-aged fool. It will neither attract the young nor the middle aged.
Let’s be honest, we are one of the few nations on earth that is not proud of its national symbol (does anyone wear a Maltese cross?) and now we are using it to symbolise cheap sex. Shouldn’t even the thought that we are a Catholic nation have crossed anyone’s mind? Or are we promoting/accepting the fact that Malta is nothing more than “sun, sea and sex”?
I am calling for the advert to be ‘pulled’ as soon as possible. However, the difficulty of getting rid of any controversial spot once it has been on the Internet only underlines the importance of getting it right in the first place.
How anyone at MTA could have failed to see that the advert is making a mockery of us is beyond me.
Yet again, more thousands of euros wasted at a time when the weak Sterling is driving the British tourist away from Europe, and at a time when our competitors have the most elegant and clever adverts we have seen in years.
The next time you meet a foreigner ask them: “When you think of Malta, what picture comes to mind?”
Zillah Bugeja
BIRZEBBUGA