"The Man in the High Castle" is probably the first big hit series for Amazon Studios, but advertising the show has fallen on hard times after campaign ads were pulled from New York City due to several reasons.
The show is all about the Nazis and Imperial Japan winning World War II, and as such has taken over the United States of America. The ads placed on New York subway seats were seen as a defamation of the American flag since the flag had Nazi and Imperial symbols on it.
This is the flag of the conquered United States in "The Man in the High Castle," which is why Amazon used it to promote the series. However, the company seems to not have thought through the possible consequences of doing so, and has since garnered the wrath of several citizens.
Variety claims that Amazon asked the New York Metro Transportation Authority (MTA) to remove the advertisements after several complaints, but that wasn't enough to get the MTA moving. The publication went on to state that various authorities had to step in and pressure the New York MTA to remove the ads.
We understand the campaign even made its way to Twitter where it also caught the eyes of many who were not pleased at all, while others just didn't care because they viewed it as nothing more but an advertisement for a TV show.
This is what Amazon had to say in a recent statement after the ad campaign removal:
"Amazon Studios creates high-quality, provocative programming that spurs conversation. 'The Man in the High Castle,' based on an acclaimed novel, explores the impact to our freedoms if we had lost World War II. Like 'Transparent' and the movie 'Chi-Raq,' stories that society cares about often touch on important, thought-provoking topics. We will continue to bring this kind of storytelling to our customers."
Will this affect "The Man in the High Castle?"
Chances are it won't, since only a small number of Americans found the ad campaign and the defaced American flag to be distasteful. We also do not expect this situation to escalate no further than where it stopped. Still, some folks will be keeping an eye on the company, while the series could get a boost from the controversy.
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