Legalize LA

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Legalize LA was an activist campaign promoting amnesty for illegal immigrants, propagated through billboards, protests, clothing, advertisements, educational pamphlets, and grass roots support, underwritten by American Apparel.[1][2] Originating locally in Downtown Los Angeles, the company took the campaign national in early 2008.[2]

Campaign

Legalize LA was billed as an education and media advertising campaign.[1] According to Dov Charney, Legalize LA was an open alternative to private lobbying.[2] Charney also stated that the cause is part of the core of the company.[3] Choosing to advertise social causes not directly related to the fashion company's product has drawn comparisons to campaigns done by advertisers like United Colors of Benetton and Nike.[2] American Apparel released a line of T-shirts featuring the words "Legalize LA" that were sold in its retail locations. The company donates the proceeds of the shirts to Los Angeles-based immigration rights groups.[4] Legalize LA participated in the May Day protests in 2008.[5] American Apparel employees were given the day off work to participate. The company also maintains a Legalize LA portion of their website that features news articles relating to immigration reform, the brand and information on the history of the issue.[6]

Ads

Legalize LA ran advertisements [1] that pushed for the legalization of the country's illegal alien workers in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.[1][7] The ads appeared in both Spanish and English.[8] One ad featured a quote from President George W. Bush expressing the need for immigration reform and asked why nothing had been done.[7] It ended with the words "It's time to Legalize LA and the USA."[7] Ads have also implied that the current laws constitute an "apartheid."[2] Another campaign used an excerpt from John F. Kennedy's essay, A Nation of Immigrants.[9] The company also put up billboards, bus stop ads and posters throughout Los Angeles.[10][11] They also placed two large banners across their downtown factory that read "Legalize LA" and "Immigration Reform Now!"[12][13]

Reception

The company's message was later endorsed by California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, according to the Los Angeles Times.[14] He gave a speech denouncing ICE's raids on "nonexploitive" companies underneath the Legalize LA banner at the downtown Los Angeles factory alongside company executives.[14] One group responded by picketing the company's store in Pasadena, California with signs that said "Legalize LA: Deport Immigrants".[4] A group called Save Our State uploaded a series of protest videos on YouTube renaming "Legalize LA" as "Amnesty for Illegal Aliens."[15] The videos feature the group picketing outside of the company's Hollywood store. American Apparel also received hate mail regarding the campaign which they subsequently posted online.[16] Angered by the company's politics, a group launched a website called BoycottAmericanApparel.com that gave away stickers to participants.[17][18] The campaign also inspired Vice Magazine to release a video documentary called Illegal LA - Immigration, Deportation, and the Right to Work that featured Dov Charney and other immigration figures.[19]

Legalize Gay

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 American Apparel Scoops the Candidates on Immigration Suman Raghunathan. January 18th. 2008
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Story, Louise (January 18, 2008). "Politics Wrapped in a Clothing Ad". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  3. ↑ American Apparel takes a stand on immigration reform, Good for Business? Archived 2008-09-17 at the Wayback Machine Blogging Stocks.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Madrigal, Jake (May 14, 2008). "American Apparel Speaks Out on Immigration Reform". Glendale College El Vaquero. Archived from the original on June 28, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
  5. ↑ Small in Numbers Large in Color Archived 2008-05-05 at the Wayback Machine BlogDowntown. May 1st, 2008
  6. ↑ Legalize LA subpage Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 American Apparel Ad Archived 2008-07-04 at the Wayback Machine Featured in the New York Times. December 2007
  8. ↑ Provacative Ads Archived 2008-07-20 at the Wayback Machine American Apparel Sobre Inmigración. LA Opinion
  9. ↑ JFK Quote Flickr. May 19th, 2008
  10. ↑ Legalize LA Bus Ad Flickr. May 19th, 2008
  11. ↑ American Apparel billboard @ Sunset and Alvarado
  12. ↑ Angelenic Photo Tour "Immigration Reform Now!
  13. ↑ Angelenic Photo Tour "Legalize LA
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Tsu, Tiffany (April 30, 2008). "Nuñez denounces ICE raids on businesses". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  15. ↑ YouTube: Save Our State vs. American Apparel "5 patriots from the organization Save Our State protest American Apparel and its "Legalize LA" campaign (amnesty for illegal aliens)."
  16. ↑ Hate Mail of the Day Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine 4/1/08
  17. ↑ Legalize L.A.- Deport Illegal Immigrants Archived 2008-06-30 at the Wayback Machine "Candidly Conservative"
  18. ↑ Boycott American Apparel.com Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ VBS' 'Illegal LA' Video Doubles As American Apparel Advertorial Archived 2008-06-30 at the Wayback Machine Animal New York

External links

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