Searching for old print advertisement

[OmerV]

Vietnam, a few years after the war, seemed to understand it would be better not to isolate itself and to that end got into the tourism business. I think it was in the ’80s that a striking print ad campaign was introduced that had the model Jerry Hall stand in as the “typical” westerner.

In the ad, the blond, beautiful, white, and statuesque Hall was pictured smiling, surrounded by shorter, dark haired, and unsmiling Viet Cong soldiers in full battle regalia, including with AK-47s made prominent. The juxtaposition was indeed striking, made more so by a dark background.

The thing is, I cannot remember who the photographer was that made the picture, nor can I find the ad on the web. So considering how crooked memory can get, I may have the details wrong.

Still, perhaps others here remember such an ad that was the subject of a piece in, again not sure about this, the magazine American Photographer, as it was called back then.

Better memories know?

[RSL]

Golly. Can't remember, Omer. That must have been when they were locking up, reeducating, and murdering the people I knew when I was there. The idea of that was sort of a distraction.

[OmerV]

Golly. Can't remember, Omer. That must have been when they were locking up, reeducating, and murdering the people I knew when I was there. The idea of that was sort of a distraction.

Russ, yeah, it might have been later, and considering the ad seems to not exist, perhaps it was never used. I remember thinking how novel and daring the ad was, but you have a point. The regime may have nixed it, or was refused by publishers.