Remember back in 2008 when a Danish artist, Nadia Plesner, created an image of a starving Afircan child holding a Louis Vuitton bag to promote the charity, Designers for Darfur? Well of course Plesner was sued by Louis Vuitton for using an image of their iconic bag and a group of internet hackers called Anonymous announced recently that are replying with ‘Operation Skankbag’ with the objective to “Financial damage to Louis Vuitton. The more, the better”.
According to a document linked by Refinery29, their methods will be of a non-physically violent method and could include buying replica Vuitton bags and giving them away to homeless people. But they also recommend the usual anti-campaign methods of taking down their websites and handing out flyers in front of their stores. All because they want to punish Vuitton for “infringing on our freedom of artistic expression” in Plesner’s “anti-materialist” message.
What’s your opinion on this?
I’m surprised that LV didn’t jump at the opportunity to help the cause as it would have been a great campaign. I love it when luxury brands or known brands help out people in need and think that it touches peoples hearts when they hear that these companies are giving back. Although I don’t support what LV did here, the artist should have asked permission to use their name.