Advertising

By Dan Mitchell

Posted Friday, December 11, 2009 – 1:49pm

“Another day, another stupid, sexist ad campaign,” writes Salon’s Mary Elizabeth Williams.

“This time, it’s Burger King,” she says, as if ignorant of that company’s long history of obnoxious ads aimed at young, male dopes. In this instance, according to Williams, Burger King (BKC) has “taken to enticing British men toward their otherwise unpalatable breakfast fare with ‘the world’s first guilt-free showercam.’”

Visitors to the site can “choose what she wears and sings,” whereupon she will “shake her bits” to the chosen song.

via More Inanity From Burger King’s Ad Wizards | The Big Money.

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If sex sells, then these Reebok commercials make good business sense — but respecting women might be even smarter

By Kate Harding

So, Reebok has these new shoes that supposedly tone your butt and legs more than regular sneakers, using “balance ball-inspired technology.” (Hooray for science! I’m also hearing great things about the promise of jump rope- and yoga block-inspired technology. The future is now, people.) But since there are other footwear brands out there offering similar results — really, if you’re still wearing lazy-ass shoes that only offer exercise benefits directly proportionate to the amount you walk or run in them, you’re a chump — Reebok needed advertising that would make theirs stand out. And what’s edgier or more original than objectifying women?

I saw this ad, in which a short-shorted woman tries to give a serious spiel on the sneakers, only to be distracted by the camera dude constantly zooming in on her sweet ass, while watching Hulu the other night. So this is definitely a real thing Reebok paid for.

Advertising – Salon.com.

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The Spot: It’s move-in day at a college dorm. A student asks his new roommate’s mom whether she’d care for a Halls Refresh. The young man and the middle-aged mom suck on their lozenges, staring lasciviously into each other’s eyes. We hear their thoughts. “So juicy!” thinks the mom. “Yeah, she likes it,” thinks the student. The woman’s husband and son walk in on this intimate moment. “Mom!” shouts the horrified son as the dad recoils. “New Halls Refresh with moisture action,” says the announcer. “Surprisingly mouthwatering.”

This ad has been catching flak for its mildly disturbing visual of a frumpy mom making bedroom eyes at a college-age nerd. The American Decency Association posted a breathless, run-on rant on its Web site, sounding particularly distressed about the fact that the ad shows “mouths moving in sexually suggestive ways.” A Slate colleague is also grossed out by the ad’s use of the evocative phrase “moisture action.”

True, the ad is a wee bit icky. But I’m having trouble working up much outrage. I’m more interested in a fundamental marketing question: Who, exactly, is this ad supposed to reach?

via An off-puttingly sexual ad for Halls Refresh. – By Seth Stevenson – Slate Magazine.

You’ve seen this ad a million times before: There’s a massive pool party going on, but one poor, timid dude is floating, alone and forlorn, on an inflatable raft. Suddenly, a bikini-clad hot chick makes a grand entrance, her ample breasts jiggling with every step she takes. Everyone — men, women, a perplexing group of guys in sailor costumes who seem to fit a particularly offensive gay stereotype — pause, mid-conversation, to gawk as she passes. The words “You know you like them” flash across the screen. Finally, the girl stops in front of the lonely guy, leans over, and shakes her boobs in his general direction. “Now,” we learn, “it’s time to save them.” “Young people are picking up pamphlets with a 65-year-old woman on them, probably tossing them out.” That’s when we realize that this isn’t a Budweiser commercial, after all. It’s a PSA called “Save the Boobs” posted below for Canada’s Rethink Breast Cancer charity. The clip ends with the words, “Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in young women ages 20-49″ and then a quick, wet T-shirt contest-inspired shot advertising an event called “Boobyball.”"The goal is to get men to care about breast cancer,” says Alina Cho at CNN video of the ad, before confidently editorializing: “This certainly will be effective in that realm.” She reports that Rethink Breast Cancer’s founder hopes the ad will reach younger men. “Young people,” she says, “are picking up pamphlets with a 65-year-old woman on them, probably tossing them out.” Because, hey, no one gives a shit when some old hag gets cancer, am I right? “She says this is a bold and fun way to communicate the message that will ’stop them in their tracks.’” According to Cho, the group’s founder believes the PSA will encourage men to help their wives and girlfriends check for breast cancer — despite the fact that the ad never includes such a suggestion, even though it would have been easy to build in. “Like boobs? Why not spend more time touching them? Help your girlfriend check for breast cancer.”

via To hell with the woman, save the boobs – Broadsheet – Salon.com.

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