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Ten years ago I wrote an opinion piece for The Sunday Age, condemning the commercialisation of Anzac symbolism. I specifically targeted the Anzac Day football game, arguing that the so-called "traditional clash" between the Bombers and the Pies was essentially a cynical marketing exercise designed to bolster AFL profits and line the pockets of its business affiliates.
I argued then, as I still do today, that to conflate heroism on the battlefield with the heroics on the footy field was to insult the fallen; no less insulting than Woolworths marrying its marketing tag "Fresh" with memories of the war dead.
Given that the words "footy" and "digger" continue to be uttered in the same sentence by media and sports commentators, you would think that the Anzac Day football game was as an integral part of official commemorative services.
When I attended the Anzac Day dawn service a few years ago, I was surprised to see many kids standing around in football scarves and jumpers in anticipation of something bigger. For these footy-garbed kids, the dawn service was a mere curtain-raiser to a battle that was to take place at the "G" later in the day.
Surprisingly, my assessment of the Anzac Day football game met with criticism from parents, teachers and even the then chief executive of the AFL, Andrew Demetriou, who argued that any initiative that raised historical awareness and inspired children to take a deeper interest in our cultural heritage can't be bad. Some even suggested that younger Australians had come to recognise Anzac Day as a profoundly significant day because of these campaigns.
No doubt the ceremonies and events surrounding the 100-year Anzac anniversary will please those who remember crowds at commemorative services dwindling and the Anzac parade losing its impact as the number of marchers declined. I particularly recall Anzac Day parades in the 1980s being disrupted by anti-war protesters as a way of bringing attention to all that was wrong with war. This outraged the RSL and those who had lost loved ones in war, as it should.
No matter how genuine the protesters' concern may have been, exploiting Anzac Day for political purposes is deplorable, but no more deplorable than big business exploiting Anzac Day for commercial purposes.
Football games were never played on Anzac Day - that is until the RSL was approached by the then VFL in the '60s asking permission for certain games that had been washed out to be held on Anzac Day. The RSL consented on the condition that all gate takings went to war veterans. But, as we now know, goodwill gestures are prone to exploitation.
A few years ago, Carlton & United Breweries launched an advertising campaign encouraging Australians to "raise a glass" to the armed forces. As with the Anzac Day football game, the marketing campaign went ahead with the RSL's blessing.
But how is it that the RSL and government are happy for a large brewing company to encourage a nation to consume their product in honour of the war dead, and yet order Woolworths to withdraw its equally crass marketing campaign? And how is it that the AFL is permitted to reduce the Anzac spirit to a jingoistic token that can be stitched alongside the numerous corporate logos on the modern footy jumper, yet restrict a supermarket chain and other businesses from doing something similar?
Perhaps it is because footy and booze are integral to Australian culture. After all, diggers probably enjoyed a drink and the footy in their day, and having a "quiet one" while watching "the footy" is, in the eyes of many Australians, a fitting gesture to the fallen.
By this reasoning, most Australians shouldn't have a problem with corporate bookmakers sponsoring a racehorse in honour of the heroic efforts of the Australian Light Horse Brigade. Given that punting is integral to Australian culture, they should have no problem with the running of, say, the Beersheba Cup at Flemington on October 31, or the Nek Cup at Randwick on August 7, or even the Lone Pine Cup on Anzac Day, as a tribute to the horsemen who lost their lives in World War I.
If we don't have a problem with a football game being played in honour of the Anzacs or a brewing company appropriating Anzac symbolism to sell beer, we shouldn't have a problem with any business using the war dead to sell its wares.
The real meaning of Anzac Day has been grotesquely distorted by slick promotional campaigns designed to imbue a product, whether it's footy, beer, grocery items or any marketable product with the Anzac spirit. I'm pretty sure that many Australians are becoming tired of such corporate opportunism. I certainly have, and it is for this reason I will not be raising a glass to the diggers, shopping at Woolworths, going to the footy, or participating in any corporate venture that incorporates Anzac symbolism into its business plan.
To fall for such marketing stunts is to show utmost disrespect to those who sacrificed their lives for something that is infinitely bigger than big business.
Chris Fotinopoulos is a Melbourne teacher and ethicist. Twitter @Cfotinopoulos

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/fr...Jfkwj_84g9A2075295&expiry=1461391117#comments
 
Fucken shit article. People will whinge about anything. If nothing happened on ANZAC day they would be the first one complaining about that.

As much as people don't like it money makes the world go round. If it doesn't make money it's not sustainable in the long term.

Sports jumping on the ANZAC bandwagon is probably the main thing that has raised awareness of what ANZAC day is about. More people acknowledge it now that ever. It's been great for it.

This year especially I have heard people on the radio going out of their way not to compare sports people and what the ANZACs did.

If people fall for the advertising that's their own fault.
 
Fucken shit article. People will whinge about anything. If nothing happened on ANZAC day they would be the first one complaining about that.

As much as people don't like it money makes the world go round. If it doesn't make money it's not sustainable in the long term.

Sports jumping on the ANZAC bandwagon is probably the main thing that has raised awareness of what ANZAC day is about. More people acknowledge it now that ever. It's been great for it.

This year especially I have heard people on the radio going out of their way not to compare sports people and what the ANZACs did.

If people fall for the advertising that's their own fault.

sports raising awareness of the Anzacs? i don't know what world you live in , but i think it might actually have something to do with the amount of lives that have been lost in campaigns Australians have fought in , the marches that have taken place pretty much since the soldiers returned home , the stories that have been told of the battles they faced ,

and that is what the whole point is

the hypocrisy in the subject matter is the woolworths got dragged over the coals for putting their slogan on an anzac picture , but you have football riding on the back of anzacas , which gets the blessings

i don't think anyone is saying that nothing should happen on anzac day , but much rather that the anzac name shouldn't be used for corporate means
 
sports raising awareness of the Anzacs? i don't know what world you live in , but i think it might actually have something to do with the amount of lives that have been lost in campaigns Australians have fought in , the marches that have taken place pretty much since the soldiers returned home , the stories that have been told of the battles they faced ,

and that is what the whole point is

the hypocrisy in the subject matter is the woolworths got dragged over the coals for putting their slogan on an anzac picture , but you have football riding on the back of anzacas , which gets the blessings

i don't think anyone is saying that nothing should happen on anzac day , but much rather that the anzac name shouldn't be used for corporate means

20 years ago ANZAC day was barely acknowledged by a lot of people. It is much bigger now and a lot of the is due to the coverage it gets from sports doing Anzac clashes. If it gets more people acknowledging what the ANZACs did its a good thing.

Fuck I couldn't give a shit what Coles does. If people don't take notice of their shit advertising they won't do it.
 
im stayin outta this, my pop was in ww, my father was drafted... no comment.
 
im stayin outta this, my pop was in ww, my father was drafted... no comment.

You're not the only one. Both my granddads fought in ww2. As I said, lest we forget to make a dollar. Should've seen all the cafès in coogee open at 4am today.
 
Yes you are the only ones with family members that served.

I don't get why people get upset about others making cash. Hope you guys all work for free.
 
Yes you are the only ones with family members that served.

I don't get why people get upset about others making cash. Hope you guys all work for free.
not about making money , but more about riding on the back of the Anzac name to make money
 
not about making money , but more about riding on the back of the Anzac name to make money

Who cares. They are not forcing people to hand over their cash because they aligned it with ANZAC day and those that are stupid enough to fall for it are probably better off giving their cash to others anyway.
 
Who cares. They are not forcing people to hand over their cash because they aligned it with ANZAC day and those that are stupid enough to fall for it are probably better off giving their cash to others anyway.

It's not about people falling for the advertising. The problem is businesses using the death of Australian servicemen for commercial gain. This cheapens the whole occasion.
 
It's not about people falling for the advertising. The problem is businesses using the death of Australian servicemen for commercial gain. This cheapens the whole occasion.

If fuck heads don't fall for advertising then they won't waste money on the advertising.


People obviously do so those fucks are probably better off giving their money to someone else.


It's doesn't cheapen it if you don't take notice of it. I haven't noticed any of the shit.

Give it a rest. It's obviously not that great occasion to you if kunts waste their breath on this fucken shit.
 
It's not about people falling for the advertising. The problem is businesses using the death of Australian servicemen for commercial gain. This cheapens the whole occasion.

Exactly this.

It isn't about blanking out the whole day ffs, its using what it supposed to be a solemn and sacred occasion to boost anything else whatsoever. It isn't even about the spending of money, its the sanctity of it all.

So in that respect. It isn't about anyone 'falling for it' ... its the fact these kunce do it AT ALL.

Think you're on your own here Baz.
 
Exactly this.

It isn't about blanking out the whole day ffs, its using what it supposed to be a solemn and sacred occasion to boost anything else whatsoever. It isn't even about the spending of money, its the sanctity of it all.

So in that respect. It isn't about anyone 'falling for it' ... its the fact these kunce do it AT ALL.

Think you're on your own here Baz.

Your are the guys whinging about it. Shows what the day means to you if that's what you notice.
 
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