Box Fresh Zapatista Rip Off
Robin Priestley | 18.08.2001 12:29
Box Fresh (A trendy Covent Garden clothes shop) have decided for their latest ad campaign to attempt to brand the zapatista's with the box fresh logo. Making a mockery of the struggle.
You may have seen the zapatista graf up around central London, what you maybe did not realise was that Box Fresh, a trendy covent garden clothes store, is attempting to use the zapatistas as a way of pushing more sales. Below is a copy of a letter that I have sent to Box Fresh, please everyone write in, phone in and complain until they pull the offensive campaign.
Dear Box Fresh,
I have tried to call but keep getting your answerphone, therefore I have decided to write. The reason that I am contacting you is to express my utter disgust at your current advertising campaign. The Zapatista pictures, text and the Zapatista Kit.
I would like to know how you can justify turning a struggle a serious as the zapatista's into a marketing campaign for your expensive covent garden clothes shop? How can you claim that by putting up zapatista images and text, all covered in Box Fresh logo's and catch phrases, that you are doing anything other than attempting to jump on the bandwaggon of a struggle that has captured the imagination of many people?
Please do not try and say that you are attempting to futher the cause of the zapatista's, as if this were the case then there would be no need for you to slap your logo over everything. The fact is that you think that the undergroung struggle of the zapatista's will make you cool. That you are attempting to link your brand to the zapatista's, in order to sell more clothes and make more money.
You obviously have no respect for the people who have been raped and murdered in the zapatista struggle, else you would not be attempting to turn their cause into something to sell a few more t-shirts. The ideals of these people and their leader Sub Commander Marcos, obviously mean nothing to you, they are simply something that is a bit trendy at the moment. You quote Marcos on your shop windows and on the graffiti that you have sprayed up (all with the box fresh logo), not because of some respect for his words, but beacuse they sound a bit like your "We Are You" adverts. Have you ever heard of the phrase "People before profit", probably not.
I think the most offensive item has to be your Zapatista Kit retailing at £30. The idea that only by parting with their hard earned cash, and wearing a Box Fresh zapatista t-shirt, getting an official Box Fresh zapatista can of spray paint and listening to a Box Fresh CD, can people become a zapatista is disgusting. Have you ever taken a moment to think that perhaps somethings in life can't be bought off the shelf? And while I'm on the point, exactly how much of that £30 is going to help the zapatistas? Because no one in your shop seems to know, there are no signs saying how much, and even your head office secretary had no idea. Could that possibly be because not a penny of it is? That you really couldn't give a monkeys as to these people, however their blood shed can make you a quick profit.
Finally I just want to let you know that I am going to post this letter up at a number of activist and zapatista websites, with your email and your address attached. I am sure that a good number of "evil anti capitalist anarchists" ,as the press keeps branding everyone, would love to know about your dirty campaign.
Thank you very much for reading (I have attached a picture I took of one of your adverts, it seems I am not the only one who finds you offensive).
Please write back soon,
Yours sincerely,
Robin Priestley.
Box Fresh can be found at seven dials in covent garden, the head office is at 144 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6YG. Tel : 020 7612 0000 or email
info@boxfresh.co.uk
Dear Box Fresh,
I have tried to call but keep getting your answerphone, therefore I have decided to write. The reason that I am contacting you is to express my utter disgust at your current advertising campaign. The Zapatista pictures, text and the Zapatista Kit.
I would like to know how you can justify turning a struggle a serious as the zapatista's into a marketing campaign for your expensive covent garden clothes shop? How can you claim that by putting up zapatista images and text, all covered in Box Fresh logo's and catch phrases, that you are doing anything other than attempting to jump on the bandwaggon of a struggle that has captured the imagination of many people?
Please do not try and say that you are attempting to futher the cause of the zapatista's, as if this were the case then there would be no need for you to slap your logo over everything. The fact is that you think that the undergroung struggle of the zapatista's will make you cool. That you are attempting to link your brand to the zapatista's, in order to sell more clothes and make more money.
You obviously have no respect for the people who have been raped and murdered in the zapatista struggle, else you would not be attempting to turn their cause into something to sell a few more t-shirts. The ideals of these people and their leader Sub Commander Marcos, obviously mean nothing to you, they are simply something that is a bit trendy at the moment. You quote Marcos on your shop windows and on the graffiti that you have sprayed up (all with the box fresh logo), not because of some respect for his words, but beacuse they sound a bit like your "We Are You" adverts. Have you ever heard of the phrase "People before profit", probably not.
I think the most offensive item has to be your Zapatista Kit retailing at £30. The idea that only by parting with their hard earned cash, and wearing a Box Fresh zapatista t-shirt, getting an official Box Fresh zapatista can of spray paint and listening to a Box Fresh CD, can people become a zapatista is disgusting. Have you ever taken a moment to think that perhaps somethings in life can't be bought off the shelf? And while I'm on the point, exactly how much of that £30 is going to help the zapatistas? Because no one in your shop seems to know, there are no signs saying how much, and even your head office secretary had no idea. Could that possibly be because not a penny of it is? That you really couldn't give a monkeys as to these people, however their blood shed can make you a quick profit.
Finally I just want to let you know that I am going to post this letter up at a number of activist and zapatista websites, with your email and your address attached. I am sure that a good number of "evil anti capitalist anarchists" ,as the press keeps branding everyone, would love to know about your dirty campaign.
Thank you very much for reading (I have attached a picture I took of one of your adverts, it seems I am not the only one who finds you offensive).
Please write back soon,
Yours sincerely,
Robin Priestley.
Box Fresh can be found at seven dials in covent garden, the head office is at 144 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6YG. Tel : 020 7612 0000 or email
![](/img/maillink.gif)
Robin Priestley
e-mail:
robinpriestley@hotmail.com
Homepage:
www.spacehijackers.co.uk
Comments
Hide the following 17 comments
Which street in 'Seven Dials'
18.08.2001 17:01
lost in WC2
Silly name as well
18.08.2001 18:25
bo
Seven Dials
18.08.2001 19:00
robin
Damn, not again.....
18.08.2001 19:17
Will Low
e-mail:
thewoods10@hotmail.com
disgusted
18.08.2001 20:07
treelover
e-mail:
no comment
We Are Scum
19.08.2001 12:53
I bet they can't even Ollie!
We are you, No your bloody not.
Nick
Get them at their own game
19.08.2001 13:00
Stencil Boy
Box Fresh May Burn
21.08.2001 10:29
Viva Zapata
Jacks Draw
Misunderstood
23.08.2001 15:46
As discussed with Robin, the purpose of the campaign was not to sell clothes, but to make a statement about what we stand for. We are trying in the same way, as the Body Shop Esso campaign, to highlight a cause, and give it support through media exposure. Boxfresh is young independent label, run by young people, and we have always strived to buck the system.
We regularly support graffiti artists, students and urban sports, which are anti-establishment.
Our customers are intelligent peoples with individual opinons and views, and we know they feel strongly about these issues.
If we were only interested in selling clothes we woulds have shot a campaign featuring beautiful people in tropical locations.
Instead we chose to highlight a cause, which our customers could relate to on a moral level.
We hope that through the media exposure, we can highlight the Marcos campaign.
One of our designers came across the Zapatista struggle on his travels to Mexico. We researched more about him, including his article in the Guardian where he coincidentally quoted our slogan, “ We are you”, and we agreed with sentiments. We are you! He said:
“ Further subjugating himself, Marcos says that he is not a leader to those who seek him out, but that his black mask is a mirror, reflecting each of their own struggles: that a Zapatista is anyone, anywhere fighting for injustice, that “ We are you “. He once said Marcos is gay in San Francisco, black in South Africa, an Asian in Europe, a Chicano in San Ysidro, an anarchist in Spain, a Mayan Indian in the streets of San Cristobal, a Jew in Germany, a Gypsy in Poland, a Mohawk in Quebec, a pacifist in Bosnia, a single woman on the metro at 10pm, a peasant without land, a gang member in the slums, an unemployed worker, an unhappy student, and of course a Zapatista in the mountains”
In brief the Zappatista cause is about ending the centuries of oppression of the indigenous people of Chiapas . We are for minorites and against those who chose to oppress them, whether it be in Mexico or South London, etc.
But all of this is words, what are we doing? Firstly we are donating all the profits from the Zapatista kit to the Zapatista Support Group in the UK. We are going to allow our customers to find out more about Marcos through displaying the “Our Word is our weapon” book on Marcos. We are going to give link sites to relevant Zapatista sites. We are happy to display any other additional information on Zapatista.
We apologise for any offence caused. We are trying to help a worthy cause, by giving it media exposure. In addition we are now contributing financially to the Zapatista cause, and we welcome any other initiatives to give their cause further exposure.
Chris
e-mail:
chriscudahy@hotmail.com
All profit is exploitation
24.08.2001 10:01
The carrabinieri kissed my arse
hahaha
24.08.2001 10:04
nice one folks
All profit is exploitation
24.08.2001 10:16
The carabinieri kissed my arse
The real thing
27.08.2001 20:56
Matt H
e-mail:
mth202@hotmail.com
warning
30.08.2001 18:42
jojo
"The carabinieri kissed my arse"
07.09.2001 15:29
There is no dignity in struggle, dignity comes from being a cultured person, dignity comes from acheivement.
If the intentions of Boxfresh are genuine then their contribution to the EZLN cause should be welcomed. A small trouser manufacturer in Covent garden is unlikely to subvert the centuries old ideals of the indigenous peoples of Chiapas so their financial and agitprop support should be received in the spirit it was given (I admit though I'm not sure if I entirely approve myself, this corporate branding/sponsorship of armies could be just the thin end of the wedge. I can see the news now "Here's the Palestinian conflict, brought to you by Marks & Spencer."
The aim of our (activists) actions is to create the kind of world where organisations like the EZLN are not needed to protect people from the vagaries of economic and political forces, in this respect we have to be, in our own lives, inclusive and forgiving. When people and organisations aquiesce to this philosophy and begin to promulgate it, is it not a little hypocritical to slate them for it?
Whoever you are "The carabinieri kissed my arse" I would recommend you maybe smoke some weed, spend some time with children (or get a pet), go to the countryside, have a nice meal, watch a sunset, get laid, get some perspective, man. Boxfresh advertising creatives and executives are not the enemy, the system that discourages paticipation IS.
It is important to co-opt people and organisations to the cause of egalitarianism and freedom, giving them a hard time when they try to do the right thing will only discourage them from even trying, whereas praise and positive reinforcement promotes a repeated and improved behaviour (Remember Pavlov's Dog?).
Cheers,
mjarsk
mjarsk
Oh my gawd
08.09.2001 21:54
zeno
Thanks for your advice
14.10.2001 16:42
Thanks for your critical and informed comments, I am certain you are a bastion on Anti capitalism, and without your valliant efforts there would be no movement. Perhaps with your greater knowledge, and experience, you could explain to us what we should be doing.
You could perhaps include tales of all of the multinationals that you have single handedly brought to their knees. After all our uninformed and meagre efforts are obviously not up to scratch, so we would welcome some advice. We of course made the mistake of tackling an issue that we felt we could change, and infact did. Perhaps it didn't change the world, but then Rome wasn't build in a day, as they say, my old boy. Somehow I get the feeling that you are the "mouthy activist" not doing a lot "to make the the world a better place" other than sitting at your PC and bitching. Write back and let us all know of your conquests.
Robin
Homepage:
www.spacehijackers.co.uk