18 Oct, 2019 19:15

Hate the president, buy our pants? Sportswear brand tries to cash in on an ad showing Trump TIED-UP

Not only do they fit snug and look great, yoga pants are apparently now the latest front in the US’ culture-war. One enterprising firm is selling its pants with a picture depicting a feminist hog-tying President Donald Trump.

The image, entitled ‘Lady Liberty’ and reportedly erected over New York’s Times Square, shows model and Marine Corps veteran Michal Mesa screaming into the face of a Trump likeness, while tying POTUS up with a red, white and blue rope.

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🇺🇸 There is nothing more American than Freedom of Choice & Freedom of Speech. . ❤️ A woman’s right to bodily autonomy is the law of the land. . 📷 The image is called “Lady Liberty” and our DHVANI model is also a United States Marine Corps Veteran. . 🏛 Trump’s Gag Rule was rejected by federal court, but he’s enforcing it anyway. . 🦅 On this issue, we stand against the President and for women’s rights. . #StandForSomething As you know, we’re extremely passionate about creating high-quality, fashionable and innovative products in the most sustainable and ethical ways possible. But the state of the world weighs heavily on us. There is a palpable tension in the air, an untenable clash of ideals, and we can no longer just sit back and watch. That’s why we’ve decided to #StandForSomething and become the world’s first and only Activ(ist)Wear™ company. DHVANI is a brand for people who are committed to making the world a better place. As of today, with each purchase, we will donate to a featured nonprofit partner. The Trump administration has imposed a Title X gag rule that leaves people of color, people with low incomes, and those living in remote or rural areas with nowhere to go for reproductive healthcare. This is a targeted blow to the over 4 million patients who obtain birth control, cancer screenings and other essential care through Title X. We simply cannot stand for this. You’ll notice some significant changes at DHVANI.com. We realize that some of our customers won’t agree with our activism and that’s okay with us. We’re not afraid to make bold statements & exercise our first amendment rights. Stand with us! A portion of every DHVANI sale will be donated to non-profit organizations that provide access to reproductive healthcare. #StandForSomething
A post shared by DHVANI (@dhvaniwear) on Oct 14, 2019 at 9:01pm PDT

Strange way to sell yoga pants and sports bras, but DHVANI, the company responsible, has apparently banked on turning Trump-hate into profit. Other images depict a gaggle of angry women gagging Trump, a woman ‘shushing’ the president with her finger, and another burly woman snatching his beloved cell phone from his hands.

Each Instagram post is accompanied with a semi-factual anti-Trump polemic, and the company has promised to donate a slice of its earnings to women’s causes and abortion services.

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This is not OK. Attacking Gold Star families is not OK. Mocking a disabled American on national TV is not OK. Referring to America’s allies as “shithole countries” is not OK. Calling white supremacists “very fine people” is not OK. Handing your billionaire friends massive handouts in the form of tax cuts paid for by ordinary Americans is not OK. Calling US Congresswomen of color "savages" and telling them to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came" is not OK. Consistently trying to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, threatening coverage for millions of American women is not OK. A “Gag Rule” silencing doctors & nurses from providing reproductive healthcare information to their fellow Americans is not OK. None of this is OK. For nearly three long and tiring years, our American patriotism has been exploited. We were told by our current President that he would “make America great again.” Instead, we have a nation more divided than ever before and further away from the ideals that make America truly ‘great.’ Enough is enough. We’re taking a stand. We’re standing up for a woman’s right to choose, which is the law of the land. We’re standing up for women and LGBTQ+ rights. We’re standing up for the un- & under-insured’s ability to access affordable reproductive care. We’re standing up for every American’s right to a healthy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Starting today, DHVANI will donate a percentage of our sales to non-profit organizations that support access to reproductive healthcare and fight Trump’s Title X gag rule in Congress. DHVANI is prepared for the fight of our lives. Will you #StandForSomething with us?
A post shared by DHVANI (@dhvaniwear) on Oct 15, 2019 at 8:01am PDT

Needless to say, the campaign stirred up some outrage. Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk called the images “sick,” while Donald Trump Jr wondered if the media would “dedicate the same time and outrage” to the billboard as it did this week to a meme depicting the president massacaring his enemies in the ‘fake news’ industry.

Hey @NYTimes and MSM. Since you had time to thoroughly cover a stupid and tasteless meme seen by 8 people with incredible outrage, I figured you should dedicate the same time and outrage to THIS BILLBOARD IN TIMES SQUARE you hypocrites!Unless of course you’re just full of shit. pic.twitter.com/fsEF6ClRuv
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 18, 2019

“Good thing you're not a conservative company who posted a photo like this with Obama because ANTIFA would be burning your store down right about now,” wrote one commenter on DHVANI’s Instagram post.

The Portland, Oregon-based company - which says it sells “Activ(ist) Wear” - has stuck by its turbo-woke messaging. “We realize that some of our customers won’t agree with our activism and that’s okay with us,” the clothing firm wrote.

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DHVANI is not the first company to build a marketing campaign on social justice themes. Sportswear giant Nike caused ructions last year when it unveiled posters featuring former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (best known for taking a knee during the national anthem) along with the text “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Similarly, razorblade maker Gillette decided to lecture men on ‘toxic masculinity’ with a hugely unpopular ad, while Ben & Jerry’s ice cream sought to sate liberal hunger with its ‘Pecan Resist’ flavor.

Using politics to sell products is somewhat becoming a tradition. Whether DHVANI goes broke from going woke or not, the entrepreneurial spirit of American capitalism is alive and well in 2019.

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