#Loeries2018 controversy over TBWA’s Apartheid Museum ad

by Herman Manson (@marklives) Controversy has erupted over the authenticity of quotes attributed to apartheid prime minister, Dr HF Verwoerd, and current US president, Donald J Trump, in a Gold Loeries award-winning radio ad produced for the Apartheid Museum by TBWA\Hunt Lascaris.

In the ad, “Past and Present”, purported statements by Verwoerd and Trump are placed in such a way as to show similar attitudes by the men.

Verwoerd starts: “By now, every one of us has seen practically that blacks cannot rule themselves.”
Trump: “They are bringing drugs, they are bringing crime, they are rapists…”
Verwoerd: “Give them guns, and they will kill each other. Let us all accept that the black man is a symbol of mental inferiority, laziness…”
Trump: “Laziness is a trait in blacks, it really is, I believe that.”
Verwoerd: “Blacks and whites need to adopt and develop divorced from each other.”
Trump: “We need to build a wall, and it has to be built quickly…”
Verwoerd: “That is all that the word apartheid means.”
Voiceover: “If the words of apartheid prime minister, Dr HF Verwoerd. and President of the United States, Donald J Trump, have taught us anything, it is that there has never been a better time to learn from the mistakes of our past. Start by visiting the Apartheid Museum today.”

Loeries investigation

Social media users pointed out discrepancies in the quotes attributed to Trump and Verwoerd on Facebook, including on the Facebook page of Graeme Codrington, co-founder of TomorrowToday, who then brought it to the attention of The Money Show on 702.

The Loeries has now launched an investigation into the ad. “Due to the queries raised on the Apartheid Museum radio ad which was awarded a Gold Loerie, the Loeries is reviewing the entry, including a fact check of the content,” The Loeries tweeted on Friday morning, 24 August 2018. “As soon as this is done more information will be provided.”

Due to the queries raised on the Apartheid Museum radio ad which was awarded a Gold Loerie, the Loeries is reviewing the entry, including a fact check of the content. As soon as this is done more information will be provided.

— Loeries (@loeries) August 24, 2018

Both the Apartheid Museum and TBWA\Hunt Lascaris have been approached for comment but neither has been forthcoming at the time of publication. We will update the story as they respond.

More social media reaction

Due to the queries raised on the Apartheid Museum radio ad which was awarded a Gold Loerie, the Loeries is reviewing the entry, including a fact check of the content. As soon as this is done more information will be provided.

— Loeries (@loeries) August 24, 2018

TBWA Hunt Lascaris should be put in the same dock as #AdamCatzavelos for that dispicable hate fueling advert … clearly they have been playing by #BellPottinger playbook …#disgusting #doingitforthemoney #noconscience @TBWA @TBWAAfrica @apartheidmuseum

— Iain Bryant (@IainBryant) August 24, 2018

Shock over fake Trump and Verwoerd quotes in award-winning Apartheid Museum ad https://t.co/zyR07lEcen pic.twitter.com/AfMm4eJTGx

— Business Insider SA (@BISouthAfrica) August 23, 2018

"We are waiting for the agency to give us a detailed response."

— Andrew Human (Loerie Awards) https://t.co/aZnPzueeTJ #ApartheidMuseum #TheMoneyShow

— CapeTalk on 567AM (@CapeTalk) August 23, 2018

"Agencies… sign a confirmation… that says they are responsible for the work, and that it has been approved by their client… and it has also been flighted [commercially]…"

— Andrew Human (Loerie Awards) https://t.co/TbVqY6vsZt #TheMoneyShow #ApartheidMuseum

— 702 (@Radio702) August 23, 2018

"I agree it’s problematic… it has only come to light now in the wake of your show… it’s been judged in good faith…"

— Andrew Human (Loerie Awards) https://t.co/TbVqY6vsZt #DonaldTrump #ApartheidMuseum #TheMoneyShow

— 702 (@Radio702) August 23, 2018

"Some of the phrases attributed to #Verwoerd were from a fake speech attributed to #PWBotha. It was a rewriting of his #RubiconSpeech in which they added additional words…"

— Graeme Codrington (TomorrowToday) https://t.co/TbVqY6vsZt #DonaldTrump #ApartheidMuseum #TheMoneyShow

— 702 (@Radio702) August 23, 2018

Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.

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