Outdoor media owner JC Decaux has banned a poster campaign for the new James album because it goes against the company’s policy of depicting guns in posters.
The James album cover for Hey Ma has been designed by Manchester creative agency Love and launches in stores on the 30 April.
The cover depicts a baby with a handgun at its feet with the albums title spelt out on building blocks.
The cover was designed by Manchester creative agency Love. Darren Hughes, creative head at the agency said that the idea behind the cover was to show the “boldness and curiosity” of gun culture “to engage in the debate”.
Hughes said: “You need only to have a passing acquaintance with the headlines to be aware of the unfolding horror show of gun culture amongst kids in the UK. Whilst the media are quick to show condemnation and, in the governments barricading of not just our airports but now our train and bus stations and schools with metal detectors, armed police and dogs, their strong armed ‘climate of fear-inducing’ response.
“But we seem less able, less curious to raise the vital question, as to what has brought our country, our culture our kids to be so taken with Guns?”
Hey Ma is the group’s first studio album in seven years. Since their debut, James has recorded 10 albums and sold more than 12 million units since the band first formed in the mid-80s.
MediaCom was responsible for the media planning and buying and said that different creatives were being prepared in order to be featured at JC Decaux sites.
The ads will also appear in music magazines and there are no planned in-store or POS creatives.
Love was first appointed by James last year to design a new logo for the band to aid their re-launch and nationwide tour.
Share:
