Berenstain Bears — Conscientious objectors in the Chick-fil-A war

The Berenstain Bears brand of kids books has been pulled unwillingly into the Chick-fil-A shitstorm, according to NBC news.

The row with the Jim Henson Company and gay rights advocates over CEO Dan Cathy's recent comments about "traditional marriage" have created a divisive PR climate around the fast food brand. With a new cobranded book promotion set to launch from Chick-fil-A and the Bears, the copyright owners posted this notice on their web site:

Interesting that the owners of such titles as "The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers," "The Berenstain Bears Show God's Love," and "The Berenstain Bears Discover God's Creation" should distance themselves so definitively from the "Christian" rhetoric of Dan Cathy.

It just goes to show how much things are changing in the USA in 2012.

"Bikes over bitches, bro!"

This campaign, by DDB Bogota, is anything but subtle. 

Like the infamous t-shirt, "If you can read this, the bitch fell off," it's a sad reminder that woman-dehumanizing macho culture is still accepted by male-dominated consumer tribes.

Executive Creative Director: Rodrigo Dávila
Creative Director: Marco Muñoz
Art Directors: Oscar David Martínez, Oscar Mejía, Adrián Arroyave, Mauricio Cortés
Copywriters: Juan David Arboleda, Andrés Estrada
Photographer: Tato Gómez


Via IBIA

Esso would help you get laid in your car if it could

Found this 1970 magazine ad on Retronaut. It's as old as I am, and yet I'm not sure we ever got past this kind of sexism in advertising. Maybe we never will.

Via BI

Olympic media coverage channels "unnecessary censorship meme

Via AOTW

Remember that great campaign by Reporters Without Borders, called "Censorship tells the wrong story"?

It's one expression of a meme, in which innocent images are made "dirty" by the power of imagination.

Via Ebaum's World

I think you get the point.

Anyway, Buzzfeed's Jack Moore has noted and collected some hilarious examples of accidental "unnecessary censorship" of male Olympic swimmers at the 2012 London Games:

Golly!

See the rest at the original post.

Target targets the same-sex wedding industry

Via Stylite

Following JC Penney and The Gap, low-price retailer Target has publicly taken sides in the United States' agonizing cultural struggle over equal marriage. 

Don't be fooled into thinking that they're doing it just to be nice, however — gay marriage is big business. Especially if One Million Moms reacts with predictable fear and anger, generating lots of free publicity.

Adult performers against child porn

Via Politics Theory Photography

These posters are part of a Belgian campaign, by Grey Brussels, for the not-for-profit Child Focus. As the video below explains (while using excessive amounts of barely-blurred hardcore porn images), the campaign featured European adult performers "Pussykat" and Rocco Siffredi to push a very simple message of saying "no" to sexual images of underage people.



The case study video is the one being bandied around the adblogs, but I far prefer the actual online PSA:



The idea of using people's interest in legal porn to police the internet for illegal stuff is certainly going to get attention, which it did — all the way up to Belgian parliament. But the execution of the posters and video, at least, is very simple, tasteful and effective.

Via Ads of the World

Lead nipple shields? What were they thinking?

The Museum of Healthcare is definitely going to be on the agenda of my next trip to Kingston, Ontario (my hometown). What could be more weirdly interesting than bad medical ideas of the not-so-distant past?

Case-in-point: Lead Nipple Shields, Circa 1920

Nipple shields are worn over a mother’s nipple during breastfeeding.  They have been manufactured since at least the 16th century and are used to help babies to latch on at the breast or to protect a mother’s sore or damaged nipples.  These shields are made of lead, but they have also been made from silver, wax, wood, pewter, tin, bone, ivory, and glass.  Today, nipples shields come in rubber, latex, or silicone. 

This pair of nipple shields come from Gananoque, Ontario where they were used in the general practices of Dr. C.H. Bird and his son Dr. H. Godfrey Bird in the first half of the 20th century.

Lead? The very element that sends parents today into paroxysms of fear and outrage when it shows up in toys or household products was purposely inserted into a nursing infant's mouth.

"Recommended by the most Eminent Medical Men"

Playing chicken with public opinion on gay marriage

Via Catholic Vote

It started small, in an interview Dan Cathy, President and CEO of American fast food chain Chick-fil-A, had with The Biblical Recorder on July 2nd.

“We are very much supportive of the family – the biblical definition of the family unit," he told Editor K. Allan Blume. "We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.

“We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families – some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that,” Cathy emphasized.

“We intend to stay the course. We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.”

Many national brands have found themselves entangled in the American struggle over equal marital rights for homosexual people, but the the ones who make most of the headlines — such as JC Penney, Kraft and even Archie Comics — have come out (as it were) on the other side.

Via Donhate

It may be an indication that this chapter of the evolution of human rights in the US has reached and passed the tipping point of public opinion. But those who are against this change are also ramping up the rhetoric. Which is perhaps why Dan Cathy, whose business has always been openly guided by conservative Christian principles, decided to speak out (as well as donating millions to anti- same sex marriage organizations).

But the current political climate is a tinderbox, and Mr. Cathy was playing with fire. He fanned the flames on a Christian radio show, adding:

“I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.’ And I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.”

It took a couple of weeks for the quotes to filter through to mainstream online media, but they did. And they made people really, really angry.

Via Mashable

Here's what Gawker's Cord Jefferson had to say:

From now on, don't fucking eat at Chick-fil-A if you are a person who believes gays are equal to you and deserving of equal treatment under the law. No equivocating and no buying back karma with pity donations to gay-rights groups. Simply avoid the chain for as long as it upholds its homophobic ties. Full stop

Chick-fil-A soon lost a corporate partner in the mix, as the Jim Henson Company issued this statement:

The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors. Lisa Henson, our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD.

Via Tumblr

And then it got weird.

And when protestors inundated Chick-fil-A's Facebook page to call them out on the obviously vindictive (and possibly fraudulent) move, a mysterious astroturfer appeared to defend them before getting busted.

That's right, "she" was a stock photo.

Via Facebook

There has been more fallout. The Mayor of Boston, Thomas M. Menino, refuses to let a Chick-fil-A open in his city, writing:

You called supporters of gay marriage "prideful.'' Here in Boston, to borrow your own words, we are "guilty as charged.'' We are indeed full of pride for our support of same sex marriage and our work to expand freedom to all people. We are proud that our state and our city have led the way for the country on equal marriage rights. 

I was angry to learn on the heels of your prejudiced statements about your search for a site to locate in Boston. There is no place for discrimination on Boston's Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it. When Massachusetts became the first state in the country to recognize equal marriage rights, I personally stood on City Hall Plaza to greet same sex couples coming here to be married. It would be an insult to them and to our city's long history of expanding freedom to have a Chick-fil-A across the street from that spot.

Students nation-wide are also organizing to kick the chain out of their school food courts.

Via Kim Wade

Meanwhile, Republicans Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee are working on a counter-protest:

“No signs and no protests are needed to make your voice heard.  Just simply have a meal at Chick-fil-A on August 1 for ‘Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day’ and our support for traditional values will be heard loud and clear,” Rick Santorum wrote in an email Wednesday to supporters.

Huckabee declared Aug. 1 “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.”

Via Looking Spoon

And so the American culture wars continue to express themselves through wanton consumerism.

Umm... would you like that Spicy Chicken Sandwich with extra Santorum?


FCKH8.com: Tell Anti-Gay Chick-Fil-A to "Cluck Off" from FCKH8.com on Vimeo.

Sleevefacing other record sleeves

I've written before about Sleeveface, the meme in which people incorporate classic album covers into portraits of themselves.

This UK campaign for Vinyl Exchange does a nice job of sleevefacing... other record sleeves. Enjoy.

Advertising Agency: Propaganda, Leeds, United Kingdom

Creative Director: Mark Williams

Art Director: Mark Williams

Copywriter: Mark Williams

Source: I Believe in Advertising

White Rock's Psyche: A pioneer of boobies in advertising

White Rock was once one of the biggest mineral water bottlers in the United States. In the first half of the 20th century, they ran a series of ads featuring "Psyche, Goddess of Purity" as their mascot. And amazingly, for that prudish age, she appeared topless (and usually, nippless).

Intrigued, I rounded up a few examples of these ads from around the internet. They are weird and wild.

Via Flickr

Via Flickr

Via Mixer

Via Esquire

So, why was this type of nudity in ads okay? The fact that a topless woman was showing up in polite society was not exactly glossed over:

Via Today's Inspiration.

And in some cases, she was even anatomically correct:

Via Uncommon Citizen

Female sexuality used to advertise unrelated products is nothing new. But current White Rock President Larry Bodkin told NPR that there was nothing lewd or suggestive about that Psyche logo when it debuted around the turn of the 20th century: "In those days, a bare breast was like almost the ultimate sign of purity".

From their site:

The story of how Psyche came to represent the White Rock Company starts at the World’s Fair in Chicago. White Rock executives were awestruck by the beauty, youth and purity depicted in a painting titled “Psyche at Nature’s Mirror” by German artist Paul Thumann. They purchased the rights to the painting and adopted Psyche as their logo. 

Psyche was a mortal princess in Greek mythology and was an allegorical personification of the human soul. According to mythology she is mistaken for Venus because she is so beautiful. Venus gets jealous and has her son Eros (Cupid in Roman mythology) involved in a plot to make her life miserable. Eventually she marries Eros and becomes immortal but not before going through a lot of hardships.  

Psyche has the wings of a butterfly to depict immortality. Her story represents the pre-existence of the soul suffering in this life, going astray but remaining faithful to her ideals. She accepts her fate while showing courage and counting on love to lead her to life. 
Over the years, depictions of Psyche have changed slightly. The 1947 model was estimated to be 2 inches taller but 15 pounds lighter than the original model. The 1975 model added another 2 inches but dropped 7 pounds and now stands at 5 foot 8 inches with a weight of 118 pounds. 

Psyche continues to stand for the pure, vital refreshment of all White Rock products. 

Yep, White Rock is still around. And so is Psyche. Ironically, they covered her up in the swinging '70s:

But these days, they're attempting to crowdsource the mascot online.

Now, that could get interesting.

Strip club industry to Canadians: "We are coming for your daughters!"

Via Wikimedia Commons

The Adult Entertainment Association of Canada recently announced a "six-point action plan" to fight against the federal government's new moratorium on issuing visas or extensions for foreign exotic dancers working in Canada's "ballet" clubs. They plan on organizing the dancers; seeking Canadian husbands to marry those whose visas are expiring; filing refugee claims, and working with civil servants. (What?)

But another point in the plan  is the one that may get the most attention from average Canadians: If they can't bring in foreigners, they will invite your daughters to do the job.

Association director Tim Lambrinos told QMI Agency that recruiters from strip clubs will try to attract students by attending job fairs at high schools, colleges and universities in Toronto and surrounding areas. "We are already doing some outreach work in some areas," he said. "We will be taking a strippers' dance pole with us to the schools."

I have been trying to track down what QMI claims is a draft copy of the flyer that AEAC is planning to woo the teens with, but to no avail. Here's how they describe it:

QMI Agency has obtained a draft copy of the flyer to be circulated to high school students. It advises them that they can earn tuition fees while working as an "exotic dance entertainer" and that no sex with customers is permitted. 

"If you are visually appealing and comfortable with your naked body and are comfortable about taking all your clothes off," the flyer states. "You can be working right now as an exotic dancer and earn your tuition fees for university or college." 

Students are told they must be "comfortable ... onstage at a club and disrobing," and are guaranteed that "no actual sex or sex acts (will) occur." 

It warns them that they will have to provide private dances, or table dances, in dark lounge areas and part-time, full-time or seasonal jobs are available.

While it is unlikely that Mr. Lambrinos and his stripper pole will be attending career day in your child's school anytime soon, this obvious PR move might backfire as it makes people think of how women are treated in the legal sex industry.

Timea Nagy (via CNEWS)

The visa ban is a result of increasing public unease with the spectre of human trafficking. Hungarian immigrant Timea Nagy, at age 19, was tricked into entering a life of stripping and prostitution in Canada. She was abducted and abused before escaping. She later founded the human trafficking rescue organization, Walk With Me. She applauded the visa ban as a way to get women out of the life.

Caroline and Nicola (via Canoe)

On the other side, QMI interviewed two women from Hungary who are currently working in strip clubs, and feel betrayed by the change in their status.  "I am very disappointed and afraid of what may happen to me in the future," said 28-year-old Caroline. Nicola, 25, added "My visa is almost expired and I am very scared. I am very shattered that I may no longer be able to work and help my family back home."

And here's the problem: we created the demand for these performers, and in many cases turned a blind eye to how they got here and what they endure behind closed doors. But once confronted with the problem, we take it out on those same performers by kicking them out of the country. Either way, we as a society are treating foreign women as disposable commodities.

Which leads back to the "we are coming for your daughters" ploy. Ironically, it reminds me of the "Somebody's Daughter" Christian anti-porn campaign from a few years ago. I wonder if it will make people think more about the women onstage and in the champagne rooms as actual people deserving of empathy and respect, not just paid-for boobs and pudenda. But my more cynical side tells me that people will opt for the more convenient route of just sending the foreigners home and forgetting about the whole thing.

Related: Exotic Dancing Industry in Ontario: Health and Safety (pdf)

The LCBO tries to guilt me out of parental drinking

Saw this while picking up wine over the weekend. I have to say, my son has never looked at me like that when I'm imbibing.

LCBO has a bad history with social marketing, being (literally) the poster child for unintended consequences in using guilt and shame as tools of corporate social responsibility.

If they really want results, they might want to try a more positive and constructive approach. What do you think?

Lanvin joins the mature model trend

(Sorry for two weeks of absence, dear readers. I was on vacation.)

I wrote recently about American Apparel's refreshing change from barely legal, semi-pornographic ads, with the introduction of 60-year-old model Jacky O’Shaughnessy in their "Advanced Basics" campaign.

Now, Paris fashion house Lanvin has included 82-year-old Jacqueline Murdock in its campaign for the women's winter line.

Shot by Steven Meisel, Ms.  Murdock is a former Apollo Theatre dancer who had always dreamed of being a model. But, she told Fashionista, "The opportunity was not there at my time for women of color."

Tip via Shift

Waterproofing fails to protect woman from wet t-shirt #FdAdFridays

This gratuitous wet t-shirt ad attempts to show the product benefit of Duxcoat, a waterproof treatment for windshields, etc. It fails:



You see, the thing is, if the tee had been coated in Duxcoat, and it really was impermeable, the shirt never would have soaked through to begin with. But then we never would have had that lingering nipple close-up.

Via Adrants

New, improved McDonald's billboard #FdAdFriday

Wow. That must have taked a lot of Wite-Out...

Via 22 Words

Agency recruitment video has unfortunate context #FdAdFriday

Boone Oakley of Charlotte, NC, produced clever-clever little recruitment video that offers to help interviewed candidates explain their absence from their current agency by fabricating tragedies and injuries with the hep of a makeup artist. (Via AdFreak)



They mean well, but when I first looked at the still (above) on the AdFreak link, I immediately assumed it was a domestic violence awareness campaign. Especially with the "excuses" onscreen.

It also just so happens that this week, a real domestic violence awareness campaign launched, in which a makeup artist shows women how to hide the signs of physical abuse on their faces:



Not that Boone Oakley intended anything negative by it. But it just goes to show that portrayals of battered women — even in jest — are loaded with unintended cultural context.

Spanish boner pills make sex so easy, it's boring #FdAdFriday

"We have more than enough energy to do what you want," promises Fortiplus.

As long as what you want is to do anything but give a shit about your fuck puppet lover.


Fortiplus commercial from totalissimo on Vimeo.


But then again, Nacho Vidal doesn't exactly seem to be trying to attract the ladies here:

Via Illegal Advertising