Experience Post 1: Marketing Indigeneity

What a great first week here in Peru! I have been surprised by quite a few things this week (as I have already discussed with some of you) and I'm excited to keep being surprised as the trip continues. 

The first thing that surprises me is how Lima's Indigenous history is being used as a marketable city identity (and by whom). While walking around, I mostly felt the presence of colonial architectural planning and/or post-modern urban apartment buildings with the most common interactions of Indigeneity being experienced through capitalist motives. Arguably, one of the farthest characteristics of Indigenous societies. I'll list a few examples that I've seen below: 

Here we can see a stall selling hiking clothes inside the Larcomar mall. There are ads incentivizing the purchase of clothing by claiming to donate "2% for the children". There is a "making" of Indigeneity here as this is labelling and discussing Indigenous communities in Peru, but there is also an "unmaking" as the brand and the advertisement discussing the donation uses grammar common in Germany, through a company founded by foreigners who are controlling the other 98% of the funds.

 

While on my walk through Miraflores, I was surprised to see this ad from the Italian hair product brand that I use back home, Davines. Whenever I have purchased these products in Canada (when I want to treat myself as they are very expensive), the labels and ads are completely white as part of their "clean, natural" aesthetic. Hence, I was surprised to see the depiction of Indigenous baskets on women's heads as their ad of choice for Peru. 

Finally (and perhaps the most obvious), is the non-stop presence of Inca Kola on every street corner. I actually love Inca Kola and have it all of the time back home. However, this was the first time I noticed the Coca-Cola logo on the label, as I had no idea they made the beverage. I would love to expand on this further, but I have many other thoughts on the American control of Inca Kola that I would probably be better off saving for another blog post that I want to write on common Peruvian foods. 

Overall, In the short time that I have been here, I feel as if I have witnessed the modern-day version of colonialism with different European (and American) companies using Indigeneity as models for selling their products, thus writing the script for how Indigenous material is being consumed by the general public. 

This brings me to wonder, who is this for and who is this benefiting? Considering the area we are in, I would assume that this is for tourists, however, the products that depict Indigenous cultures are also heavily used by Peruvians. Coming from a Canadian perspective where movements are promoting Indigenous communities to claim their own stories and histories, seeing the "third party" control from European/American companies over Peruvian Indigenous communities here in Lima has been a bit of a culture shock. 

Questions for the class: What do you think about the ethics of foreign companies controlling Indigenous narratives through advertising? Do you think this is what they are doing? Or do you disagree with me? Have you seen other Indigenous influences in the city that would maybe dispute my observations?