• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, June 10, 2015

Johannesburg-based agency The Open Collaboration approached a number of non-profit organizations that fight injustice, offering to produce the ad on a pro bono basis. OpenCo believed it would be a great way for the organizations to attract attention to their cause. But it didn't go over so well. Those approached felt that the ad was simply too controversial to run. They said it would make people unbearably uncomfortable. 

Not a surprise, really. The ad is a picture of Hitler on the left with the caption, "9 months in prison" and a picture of Mandela on the right with the caption, "27 years in prison." Not everyone takes kindly to any sort of use of Hitler.

But the agency believed this concept is exactly what an ad about injustice should do. And they believe that somewhere there’s an organization that agrees. So the shop published a description of how the ad would appear if anyone were brave enough to run it. 

I suppose it's just a matter of time before some organization takes the agency up on its offer.