The current advertising campaign of VISITFLANDERS is frowned upon. The campaign -celebrating love in all forms- is called ‘disgusting’ and ‘the epitome of sin’. ‘This is our cue to intensify our advertising campaign,’ says VISITFLANDERS. ‘We are an inclusive region and welcome love in all forms. You come to Flanders for the people and stay for the art. We are proud to show our cultural heritage and true colors through this campaign: this is a much-needed message in this day and age.”
A few weeks ago, VISITFLANDERS launched a new advertising campaign: the big hack. For this campaign VISITFLANDERS replaced Adam & Eve on the outer panels of the painting ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ with modern day versions of love. The ‘hacked’ panels displayed amongst others: people with Down’s syndrome that are deeply in love, love defying a serious age gap, a gay and mixed-race couple.
“The idea of linking ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ to the adoration of true love in all its forms, is an obvious one. Truth was central to this work, as is love,” said Peter De Wilde, CEO of VISITFLANDERS. “Today, it's easy to be like Adam and Eve if you color 'inside the lines'. The Van Eyck brothers were all about drawing new lines and doing things their own way. For the many couples that don’t fit the norm and are met with hostility through both words and deeds, we were persuaded to “hack” the Ghent Altarpiece. In doing so, we hope to demonstrate our dedication to diversity by highlighting our unique artistic heritage and promoting Flanders as a cultural and inclusive tourist destination.
Everyone who wants to express their adoration for ‘true love’ can participate. A short video has been made for the ‘hack’. Visitors to the site www.adorationoftruelove.com can share the video and optionally include their own photo. If they upload a photo, they'll feature in the video's intro. The video can be personalized on www.adorationoftruelove.com.