I have strong reservations about this PR stunt conducted by JWT in Sri Lanka on behalf of its client, marketing Reborn t-shirts.

While the idea seemed clever —faking the kidnapping of radio DJs to create buzz, it is very close to something else that has plagued the country: the political abduction of prominent people, including those from THE MEDIA. It even uses a yellow van as the abduction vehicle, alluding to the “white van syndrome” – a reference to the abduction vehicle of choice. White vans have been used to abduct people, who are then held at ransom. A prominent journalist, Keith Noyahr was abducted in May this year and beaten up badly, as reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

While the harsh treatment of prominent media people –even one this month — may be a fact of life in some parts, creating a parody of the situation only helps legitimize it.