Main » 2013 » March » 14 » Beatles' Abbey Road cover in Calcutta traffic campaign
17:48
Beatles' Abbey Road cover in Calcutta traffic campaign
Beatles' Abbey Road cover in Calcutta traffic campaign Police in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta are using the picture on the cover of the iconic Beatles album Abbey Road in a campaign to enforce road safety. The picture shows the band members walking in single file on a zebra crossing in north London's Abbey Road. The slogan for the campaign reads: "If they can, why can't you?" The Beatles were photographed on Abbey Road in Ian Macmillan's famous cover shot for the 1969 album. The crossing is outside the Abbey Road studios, where the band recorded much of their music. Calcutta's traffic police has put up 40 hoardings carrying the Beatles image as part of a campaign to persuade people to use pedestrian crossings. "We wanted a catchy and appealing campaign, and we hit upon the idea of using the Beatles and cash in on their universal popularity. We are trying to say that if John, Paul, George and Ringo could use the zebra crossing, you can also do it," joint commissioner of traffic police Supratim Sarkar told the BBC. "We will be able to tell after a couple of months whether the campaign worked." Calcutta resident and musician Neel Dutt told The Telegraph newspaper that he was happy with the campaign. "Calcutta has had a long love affair with The Beatles and if that can make people abide by rules, then nothing like it," he said. Others were more sceptical. "Don't waste time and money putting up these hoardings that may be understood only by elite 2% of the people, and that too not those who tend to walk on the streets too much," resident Sanjiv Kapoor wrote on Calcutta traffic police's Facebook page. "Instead spend the money on making zebra crossings at the right places, and educating drivers and ordinary pedestrians on what they are for! If people today actually use them as shown in the photo, they will be run over before you know it!" The original Abbey Road zebra crossing, where the photograph was taken, was moved several metres for traffic management reasons more than 30 years ago, and no original features remain.
Iconic – знаковый Enforce – соблюдение Hoardings – щиты Pedestrian – пешеходный Catchy – легко запоминающийся Appealing – привлекательный Hit upon – натолкнуться Affair – дело Abide – соблюдать
Who are depicted on billboards of police in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta? Why does police do it? Where was the most famous photo of The Beatles taken? What slogan does police posted on these billboards? How many percent of people understand this advertisement according to some skeptical people?
I think it’s a very unusual advertisement. I agree that maybe many people don’t understand it. But I’m not sure that a person exists who doesn’t know The Beatles. To my mind, any advertisement must be original and memorable. And billboards with the photo of The Beatles are the best advertisement I’ve ever heard.
From my point of view, it is very witty to use the picture on the cover of the iconic Beatles album Abbey Road in a campaign to enforce road safety because of several reasons: The first reason is that it's really suitable for the situation and you shouldn't spend extra money! The next one is that The Beatles is famous all over the world and their songs are known by everyone so the members of this band are good example for imitation And last but not the least reason is that to see such a pisture during you way home can help you to be in good mood during the rest of a day!
