Responsible Advertising
Posted on | November 28, 2007 | No Comments
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A colleague just forwarded an article that outlines the “atrocities” of Unilever’s advertising campaign hypocrisy. As the account lead for the Midwest brands, I admit my bias in Unilever’s favor so take my opinion with that knowledge.
Watch the spot:Â Dove Onslaught
Critics are ranting about a video ad for Dove’s campaign for real beauty in which the viewer is left with the directive to “Speak to your daughter before the beauty industry does.” That criticism has spawned a mash up ad of the Dove ad with an Axe ad which has as different a message as you could imagine resulting in a very harsh review of Unilever’s messaging to consumers.
I recognize that the advertising industry falls somewhere between politicians and car sellers in the public’s view of honesty and integrity (no thanks to Amanda Woodward; D&D Advertising) but I have to wonder if the critics of the Unilever campaign haven’t lost their sense of humor in their quest to homogenize and sterilize.
First, the Dove campaign for beauty is ALWAYS a favorite among women of all ages. Ask them. Every hire I made on my sales team listed it as one of theirs. The reason it speaks to us is because it reclaims the stereotype. Real beauty is something everyone can achieve. It’s authentic. My dad used to say “all women are beautiful, some are just more beautiful than others.” When you realize it’s not a competition, you can actually get on with living and quit freaking out that you have a smallish chin or freckles or crazy hair or god forbid, CURVES!!!! Oh the horror.
As for the Axe ads, let me risk the role as “queen of the obvious” but they are meant as a joke for teenage boys who are, as I recall, incredibly gawky and not at all smooth with the ladies. The things that boys in the 13-24 year old range think are funny will probably offend, mortify and disgust most of you. And if their sense of humor doesn’t gross you out, try walking in their room. While I don’t endorse throwing rocks at them (as the David and Goliath characters might), boys are smelly. The fact that Axe found a way to GLAM-orize body spray for guys is, to me, genius. If I had my way, the sour dowagers who don’t understand the hyperbolic hilarity in the Axe ads would have their feminist membership cards revoked as we speak.
So what is at the root of this controversy? Responsible advertising?
At the Marketing to Moms conference in Chicago, there was a panel discussing childhood obesity. Michelle Cordial from Subway talked about her company’s difficult but ultimately successful efforts to improve the healthful choices at Subway restaurants including fresh fruit and water and lowfat milk. The panel challenged the audience of marketers to push for more healthy products and positioning. My comment/question was that most of us market what we’re given. Our job isn’t product development; it’s product positioning. Until the C-set determines that there’s money to be made by pushing healthful choices (be it vegetarian/ fresh options or environmentally friendly or socially responsible), we won’t have the chance to market them to our consumers.
But does that leave us without culpability?
Like many people, my mom struggles to find healthful food choices because she’s developed habits based on comfort & convenience. The old saying goes, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always got.” In our heads we KNOW what we should be doing: cooking at home, eating more vegetables, recycling, exercising, etc. If only life allowed that utopic fantasy to happen!
Still, there are companies who give us products that are healthy (or at least healthier) options. At Subway, for example, you can order your sandwich as a wrap with apples and bottled water. My mom didn’t even realize Subway had wraps. She didn’t know KFC had grilled chicken alternatives to extra breading either. At the Sonic drive-thru, I am awed by the number of DIET options. I realize soda is still soda, but at least there were 3 or 4 options of sugar free beverages! Now if only the QSRs would sign a deal with Diet Rite and their no-sodium, no-caffeine, no-sugar-having cans of joy, we’ll be in business! Or maybe that’s just me.
So can we help shape the direction of the products and brands we represent? Are we not part of the population to which we market? If we don’t speak up, if we don’t express our ambition to improve and innovate are we not letting our clients down? To be hired for our expertise in a category or a medium and to dumbly accept direction is a poor exercise of our own freedom of speech.
At every level of our industry, we have the power to influence: our clients, our consumers, each other. I put to you a quote from Kahlil Gibran, “When one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone. Ay, and he falls for those ahead of him, who though faster and surer of foot, yet removed not the stumbling stone.” Wherever you fall in the “food chain”, your voice counts. Your example matters.
I think success is being redefined as doing well by doing good. The Dove Campaign for Beauty is a perfect example of that success. And you’re going to need more than an Axe to cut them down.
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