On Sunday British supermarket chain Morrisons was forced to apologise after it provoked uproar for using the vast aeroplane wings of Antony Gormley’s famous landmark sulpture in Gateshead, the Angle of the North, as a billboard to advertise the cut-price cost of a French loaf.
Morrisons said it beamed a projection of a giant baguette bearing the slogan “I’m Cheaper” onto the artwork on Friday night in a bid to promote its new low-cost strategy aimed at tackling the rise of discount supermarkets Lidl and Aldi.
But the stunt was widely denounced on social media and elsewhere as “cultural vandalism”. Mr Gormley, who has always insisted on the artwork appearing unlit was also unhappy over the co-option of his most famous piece.
“I’d rather the Angel is not used for such purposes, but it’s out there,” Gormely told the Independent.
The supermarket said it had not meant to cause offence. “We're sorry if you thought we got carried away with our latest marketing. We were trying to have some fun and didn't mean to offend anybody,” it said.
A spokeswoman said the advert was meant to raise “conversation” about the price cutting initiative as well as “generating intrigue.”
© 2014 - European Supermarket Magazine by Enda Dowling
To sign up to ESM’s weekly e-zine newsletter, send an email with the subject: ‘Subscribe ESM news’ to editorial@esmmagazine.com
