Advertising and culture of peace: Violence is a Virus as a symbolic intervention by the Third Sector
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The campaign Violence is a Virus, developed by the Mexican agency Anónimo in collaboration with the Non-Violence Project Foundation (NVPF), an international organization committed to the culture of peace, offers a paradigmatic case to explore the symbolic potential of advertising in contexts of social transformation. This study examines how the partnership between an NGO and a creative agency can amplify the impact of social messages, configuring a practice of transformative communication. Using a qualitative, interpretive approach, it analyzes the narrative, visual, and rhetorical resources of the piece, as well as its institutional, cultural, and discursive context. The campaign is structured around a powerful metaphor—violence as a virus—that transfers the codes of the health crisis into the social sphere, resignifying violence as a structural, everyday, and preventable phenomenon. Through this symbolic construction, the piece appeals to the audience from an ethics of care and shared responsibility, avoiding sensationalism and punitive logics. The findings are discussed in light of theoretical frameworks on the culture of peace (Galtung, 1996), communicative justice (Pedro-Carañana et al., 2024), communication for development (Servaes, 2008), and brand activism. The study concludes that experiences like this one open new possibilities for advertising committed to the values of the common good, social justice, and SDG 16, contributing to the academic debate on the ethical and political role of communication in the Third Sector.
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Revista MEDIACIONES © 2024 by Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios - UNIMINUTO is licensed under the Creative Commons BY.
How to Cite
References
Afolaranmi, A. O. y Amodu, A. A. (2022). Critical Review of Sustainable Peace, Mediative Dialogue and Social Media. African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research, 5(3), 28-43. https://doi.org/10.52589/ajsshr-34wcgpmn
Ali, A. y Ghazali, S. B. (2020). The Third Sector in Public Governance in Nigeria: Concept, Identity and Prospects. Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 10(1), 298–311. https://doi.org/10.5296/JPAG.V10I1.16407
Arvidsson, A. (2006). Brands: Meaning and value in media culture. Routledge.
Caruelle, D. (2024). Is woke advertising necessarily woke-washing? How woke advertising and (mis)aligned corporate practices influence perceived woke-washing. International Journal of Advertising, 44(4), 743–765. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2024.2427517;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION
Copu. (2022, 24 de abril). Anónimo presenta: “La violencia es un virus”, una campaña para la fundación Non Violence Project que busca alertar sobre el incremento de la violencia. https://copu.media/anonimo-presenta-la-violencia-es-un-virus-una-campana-para-la-fundacion-non-violence-project-que-busca-alertar-sobre-el-incremento-de-la-violencia-%F0%9F%87%B2%F0%9F%87%BD/
Coy P., E., y Molano G., M. F. (2023). Estrategias de Comunicación para favorecer Mecanismos de Resolución de Conflictos desde la Perspectiva Diferenciada de Género y la Interseccionalidad. Mediaciones, 31(19), 88-107.
de la Torre P., I. (2010). Identidad institucional de las organizaciones del Tercer Sector. Revista Internacional de Organizaciones, 0(5), 7–29. https://doi.org/10.17345/rio5.7-29
Fernandes, T., Guzmán, F. y Mota, M. (2024). Purpose is the new branding: understanding conscientious purpose-driven marketing and its impact on brand outcomes. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 33(6), 761–782. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-08-2023-4667
Foley, J. P. y Pastore, P. (1997, 22 de febrero). Ética en la publicidad. Pontificio Consejo para las Comunicaciones Sociales. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_22021997_ethics-in-ad_sp.html
Galtung, J. (1996). Peace by peaceful means: Peace and conflict, development and civilization. SAGE Publications.
Gjerazi, B. (2023). Media and Communication Strategies for Conflict Prevention and Resolution. Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Development, 10(2), 52-59. https://doi.org/10.56345/ijrdv10n207
Lakoff, G., y Johnson, M. (2009). Metáforas de la vida cotidiana (L. Fernández y E. Alonso, Trads.). Editorial Cátedra. (Obra original publicada en 1980)
Lou, C., Goh, E.Y.S., Chang, D., Tan, H.L., Yap, X.Y. y Zhang, X. (2024). What Is Brand Activism? Explicating Consumers’ Perceptions of Its Characteristics, Authenticity, and Effectiveness. Journal of Interactive Advertising, pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2024.2346889
McLeod, S., y Marshall, J. (2023). Communication for all and the Sustainable Development Goals. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2022.2160494
Mercado Negro. (2022). “La violencia es un virus”, campaña concientiza sobre esta problemática. Mercado Negro. https://www.mercadonegro.pe/publicidad/camapana-violencia-igual-virus/
Miguel, A. y Miranda, S. (2023). Brand Activism Effectiveness: The Predictors and Potential Effects of Brand Activist Actions. Média & Jornalismo, 23(42), 147–164. https://doi.org/10.14195/2183-5462_42_8
Naciones Unidas. (s.f.). Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/
Naciones Unidas. Asamblea General. (1999). Declaración y Programa de Acción sobre una Cultura de Paz (A/RES/53/243). https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/53/243
Non-Violence Project Foundation. (2023a). Our mission and story. The Non-Violence Project Foundation. https://nonviolence.com/about/vision-and-mission/
Non-Violence Project Foundation. (2023b). The Non-Violence Project Foundation 2023 Annual Activity Report. https://nonviolence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/NVPF-2023-Annual-Activity-Report.pdf
Pedro-Carañana, J., Carrasco-Campos, Á. y Herrera-Huérfano, E. (2024). Pensar la paz desde la comunicación: Desde la cultura de paz de Johan Galtung hacia la justicia comunicativa. Mediaciones, 32(20), pp.1-8. https://revistas.uniminuto.edu/index.php/med/article/view/4085
Portela G., J. C. y Herrera M., F. (2024). Cultura y paz. Aportes teóricos para el estudio de las transformaciones simbólicas en procesos de transición. Estudios Políticos (Universidad de Antioquia), (69), 27–47. https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.espo.n69a02
Sarkar, C. y Kotler, P. (2018). Brand activism: From purpose to action. Idea Bite Press.
Servaes, J. (2008). Communication for development and social change. SAGE Publications.
Servaes, J. y Yusha’u, M. J. (2023). Introduction: The need for an 18th Sustainable Development Goal—Communication for all. En J. Servaes y M. J. Yusha’u (Eds.), SDG18: Communication for All. Volume 1 (pp.1–24). Springer.
Song, I. H. y Lee, K. W. (2024). Advancing SDG 16 through political participation on social media: A Comparative Study of Social Capital between South Korea and the United States. IGEE Proc, 1(1), pp. 32-49. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384493851_Advancing_SDG_16_through_political_participation_on_social_media_A_Comparative_Study_of_Social_Capital_between_South_Korea_and_the_United_States
Tavares N. Q. J. y Freire F., A. O. (2010). Terceiro setor e interesses coletivos: as alternativas sociais na busca da cidadania. Seqüência Estudos Jurídicos e Políticos, 31(60), 371–390. https://doi.org/10.5007/2177-7055.2010V31N60P371
The Non-Violence Project Foundation y Anónimo. (s.f.). Violence is a virus [Video]. Non-Violence Project Foundation. Página Web. https://nonviolence.com/about/events-and-campaigns/
UNESCO y UNCTAD. (2023). Creative economy: Orange economy—New economics for sustainable development. United Nations Economist Network. https://unctad.org/webflyer/creative-economy-orange-economy
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2024). Creative economy outlook 2024. Technical and statistical report. UNCTAD, https://unctad.org/publication/creative-economy-outlook-2024
Vargas, L. y Lee, P. (2023). Communication and information poverty in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A case for SDG 18—Communication for all. En J. Servaes y M. J. Yusha’u (Eds.), SDG18 Communication for All. Volume 1 (pp. 25–57). Springer.
Verlegh, P. W. J. (2023). Perspectives: a research-based guide for brand activism. International Journal of Advertising, 43(2), pp. 388-402. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2023.2228117