Genocide is un-PC!

Of course, the ad's punch-line is an attention grabber - again a desperate strategy to reach the already overwhelmed consumer through the clutter of over-stimulation by the media-circus.

Once the curiosity wears off and one reads the small print, "In the war against IT problems, we don't just cure them, we obliterate them", one wonders exactly how a reference to genocide might foster endearment toward Fujitso. Looking for enlightenment in the Oxford Dictionary, one is none the wiser: Genocide is defined as "deliberate extermination of race" [genos (race) + cide (person or substance that kills)]. Even the red background alludes to blood and gore - is this really contextually sound and morally justifiable?

We are only talking about Information Technology here... you know. teeny-weeny little micro-chips and software and not 'race' (which the Oxford dictionary defines as "group of persons or animals or plants connect by common descent". Duh!

Secondly, the only way in which '-cide' would make sense is within the context of obliterating those nasty computer viruses that plague us all from time to time. But, even those lowly life forms have never struck me as qualifying to be a 'race'. They are more like 'secret agents' acting alone to obliterate PCs.

So, frankly, besides being wholly inappropriate as a 'shock-phrase' in this day and age, the association between Genocide and IT problems really amounts to over-inclusive thinking, if not to over-kill, Bill!.

I would be scared to call in Fujitso lest they decide to obliterate me together with my "IT problems". Strange isn't it, to choose an advertising angle aimed at PCs that is wholly 'un-PC'?! An advertisement like this would have been more appropriate for 'Doom' or 'Target' - at least there is scope for wordplay between "Genocide" and "Insecticide", e.g., "Doom will not only kill one 'gogga', it will kill the whole colony - its not just an insecticide ,it's a GENOCIDE", or something.... but then again, I'm not a copywriter.

PS: One also wonders who has copied who? SABC 3 has huge billboards advertising the Great Race, which states: "Cheating is not only allowed, its encouraged..." Really?!