Virginia is for lovers … and Crips and Bloods and the Gangster Disciples

Virginia’s tourism agency will eliminate images of people making heart symbols with their hands in its upcoming advertising campaign because the gesture is also used by a violent street gang. The Virginia is for Lovers “Live Passionately” campaign will remove images of models making the hand gesture, one of several signs associated with the Gangster Disciples, Virginia Tourism Corp. officials said Friday. The gesture shows thumbs and index fingers formed into a heart.

Bad move. Gangsters take vacations too, y’know.

Go here to see the offending ad.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 20th, 2007 at 2:02 pm and is filed under Bad ideas, Marketing, PR Disasters, Tourism, Virginia is for Lovers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Virginia is for lovers … and Crips and Bloods and the Gangster Disciples”

  1. Lesley Says:
    August 20, 2007 at 5:52 pm

    Imagine that an entire ad agency staff didn’t know the hand signal for the Gangster Disciples. Quel surprise.

  2. collateraldamage Says:
    August 20, 2007 at 5:58 pm

    The Gangster Disciples should diversify and recruit more middle-age & middle-class people.

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