Swiss animal rights group objects to bunny in a thong

There are very serious animal abuses going on in the world. This is not one of them.

This cheesy little ad, with the headline, "This year, Easter is full of surprises," appeared in Switzerland to promote a shopping mall. According to Tages Anzeiger, it has drawn the ire of a local animal welfare group, Der Tierschutz beider Basel (Animal Welfare Basel) also known as TBB.

Daniel Bader, Manager at TBB for fundraising and communications, told Tages, "We see the dignity of this rabbit clearly violated. This image promotes zoophilia, ranging from sexual attraction to the sexual abuse of animals."

Asked to provide his perspective on what constitutes oversexualization of animals in advertising, Herr Bader explained, "There are no clear rules or principles held in this area... At the end of the subjective perception of each individual counts."

Indeed. And someone, subjectively, got sexually excited by this poorly executed idea. It wasn't me. Was it you?

H/T Dangerous Minds

This year, Sweden's favourite Christmas tradition got a gender swap

Via Adland

Adland shared this seasonal Swedish mailer for retailer ICA featuring a boy in the traditional roleplay of female martyr Santa Lucia, and a girl as the traditionally male stjärngosse (a star boy). 

Åsk 'dabitch' Wäppling writes, "For people in the States: This is the equivalent to a boy homecoming queen. Not a transgender homecoming queen. Just a boy homecoming queen."

Personally, I like it. There is no mention of how traditionalists in Sweden reacted. dabitch quips, "They might still be in shock."

Girls: Who needs math when you can shop?

Consumerist shared this Facebook photo of a shirt sold at The Children's Place. In the 21st Century.

A customer named Erin Shipp wrote on the company's FB wall:

I dropped by one of your stores over the weekend and was really disgusted by the sexist approach to girls' clothing. It's bad enough that so much of it is pink and purple, but the "best subjects" t-shirt is pretty terrible so is the "this princess is no drama queen" one. What, boys get to have aspirations to do things and girls are supposed to be materialistic wannabe princesses angling to catch a man before third grade? I have a son and haven't paid much attention to your girl clothes before this, but I was hoping to purchase a gift. Not only did I leave empty-handed, but I won't be returning.

Jezebel's Laura Beck adds some context:

By contrast, their boys t-shirts are all about surfing and playing drums and being a superhero. They're by no means perfect, but they paint the picture of a pro-active kid putting himself out there and making things happen. If the company doesn't want to mix all the shirts together —boys and girls basically have the same bodies at those ages, why can't they choose for themselves?

Sexist t-shirt controversy seems to pop up with regularity these days. But the ones furthering anti-academic female stereotypes are among the worst.

In their 2000 paper “Gender Differences in Academic Attitudes among Gifted Elementary School Students”, researchers at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Talented Elementary Students, suggested to parents:

"...expose both boys and girls to activities involving all kinds of skills. They can guard against assuming that boys will like math/science and girls will prefer verbal activities. They can try to ensure that their children’s teachers don’t make these assumptions or treat children differently based on gender.” 

That was 13 years ago. More recently, it has been observed that girls are outpacing boys in later academic achievement, as well as representing more than half of post-secondary enrolment. So these shirts are not just sexist, they're out-of-touch.

I have a young son, and I have shopped at The Children's Place. (It's a little expensive, but they turn over and liquidate stock quickly.) I'll be watching when, or if, the company responds.

Retailer suggests that your daughters learn "the importance of looking nice"

Facebook humour group Condescending Corporate Brand Page shared this status update from Lazada Super Moms, the targeted outreach of the Lazada Online Shopping Mall in the Philippines. 

And what do they have for boys?

Girls look nice, boys get respected. And that's how the gender roles are policed.

British homophobes offended by pictures of women kissing... themselves

All images via Daily Mail

So here's a thing. The Daily Mail reports that these images, used on-site to promote the Harvey Nichols department store in the UK, provoked 17 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority.

From the ASA site:

1. Nine complainants challenged whether the ads were offensive, irresponsible and unsuitable for untargeted display where they might be viewed by children, because they appeared to portray a lesbian kiss;
2. Ten complainants challenged whether the ads were offensive, irresponsible and unsuitable for untargeted display where they might be viewed by children, because they were sexually explicit;
3. Two complainants challenged whether the phrase "LOVE THYSELF", combined with the images in the ads, was offensive on religious grounds.

Here's their ruling. It's actually kind of entertaining reading:

Assessment 

1. Not upheld 

The ASA noted that each of the three ads showed an image of a woman leaning in to kiss her mirror image, rather than another woman. We considered that, particularly because of the identical styling of the model in each ad and the text "LOVE THYSELF", the content was sufficiently clear and was unlikely to be widely misunderstood. 

We acknowledged that some complainants had interpreted the posters differently and had understood them to depict a lesbian kiss. One person also mentioned a young child who had not identified that the kiss was between one woman and her mirror image. Although we recognised that some people might have found what they perceived to be a portrayal of a lesbian kiss distasteful, we considered that a reference to homosexuality in an ad would be unlikely in itself to cause widespread or serious offence or constitute irresponsible advertising. 

Because we considered that it was sufficiently clear that the posters showed one woman about to kiss her mirror image, and because we also considered that they were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence even if interpreted differently, we concluded that the ads were not offensive, irresponsible or unsuitable for untargeted display because they appeared to portray a lesbian kiss. 

On that point, we investigated the ads under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 1.3 (Responsible advertising) and 4.1 (Harm and offence) but did not find them in breach. 

2. Not upheld 

We noted that close-up images of models' faces were common methods of advertising beauty products, and that the emphasis in each of the ads was on the styling of the model. In addition, the text "LOVE THYSELF" was prominent because of its size and position on the posters. We therefore considered that the aim of the ad, to promote the beauty department of a well-known department store, was clear and that the images used were consistent with that message. 

The posters showed close-up shots of the face of a woman leaning in to kiss her mirror image; in each instance her lips were slightly parted but the faces were not touching. We noted that no nudity was shown and the poses were not provocative. We therefore concluded that the ads were not sexually explicit and were consequently not offensive, irresponsible or unsuitable for untargeted display. 

On that point, we investigated the ads under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 1.3 (Responsible advertising) and 4.1 (Harm and offence) but did not find them in breach. 

3. Not upheld 

We noted that the words "LOVE THYSELF" bore some similarity to the bible verse "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" and understood that, if that association was made, the ads could be seen to distort a religious message for commercial means. However, in our view the text "LOVE THYSELF" was not so strongly linked to the most central tenets of the Christian faith as to be widely interpreted as mocking the sacred elements of that religion. We also noted that "LOVE THYSELF" was not a direct biblical quote, and for that reason considered that it was not exclusively associated with Christianity. Given the absence of any other imagery or references which could carry religious meaning in the ads, we concluded that, in the context of an ad promoting a store's beauty department, the phrase "LOVE THYSELF", combined with the images of a woman about to kiss her mirror image, was not offensive on religious grounds. 

On that point, we investigated the ads under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 1.3 (Responsible advertising) and 4.1 (Harm and offence) but did not find them in breach. 

Action 

No further action necessary.

Love the Bible reference.

Sexualized? Yes. Exploitative? Yes. But officially not gay. That's a relief.

Tip via Jezebel

British retailer de-brands products to provide "quiet" to consumers

Selfridges, a British department store chain, wants to give customers a break from the overwhelming "noise" of the modern world.

According to their "No Noise" campaign site:

As we become increasingly bombarded with information and stimulation, the world is becoming a noisier place. In an initiative that goes beyond retail, we invite you to celebrate the power of quiet, see the beauty in function and find calm among the crowds.

This idea of an oasis of calm in the middle of retail madness is actually as old as the store itself. When Selfridges opened in 1909, Harry Gordon Selfridge created a Silence Room where busy shoppers could "retire from the whirl of bargains and the build up of energy". The store will soon have a new Silence Room, designed by Alex Cochrane:

But the campaign gimmick of most interest to me is "The Quiet Shop," in which iconic products by Heinz, Beats by Dre, Levi's, Marmite and others have provided exclusive "de-branded" products to promote the initiative.

I love it. And it's really impressive that these classic brands — run by marketers who you would expect to be extremely protective of their established standards and equity — would be willing to participate in a project that basically admits our world is over-branded.

Ahhhhhh...

You can buy the limited-edition products online.

Tip via The Drum

No "Black Friday" please, we're Canadian

As a Canadian, I have to live with the knowledge that many of my neighbours to the south believe that I am a wannabe American. I don't actually think this is true or even fair, but it is true that we are absolutely saturated in imported American culture. Which occasionally causes embarrassing culture creep like the example above.

"Black Friday" is the day after American Thanksgiving, and the observed start of the earnest Christmas shopping season south of the border. It is named after the belief that it's the day when retailers go "in the black" for the first time in the calendar year, because that day brings so much instant business.

To make this happen, stores offer incredible discounts on certain in-demand products in limited quantities. Which causes customers to line up hours in advance for "door-crasher" promotions, and stampede into the stores causing mayhem and injuries. And as stores try to one-up each other for the business, "Black Friday" has turned into "Black Thursday After Thanksgiving Dinner" for many unfortunate, un-unionzed retail employees.

Not only is the third Friday in November meaningless on the Canadian calendar, it's an ugly symbol of selfish consumerism trumping human decency. But worst of all, it's as "wannabe American" as you can get.

When I brought this topic up on Facebook, a friend and reader pointed out that Canadian businesses are mimicking American cousins to try to stem the flow of one-way cross-border shopping that happens every November. And these promotions really do increase sales for a day.

But I still don't like it. Our Thanksgiving was last month, and the start of our Christmas shopping season was last week (after Remembrance Day). If Canadian retailers want to fight back against the lure of the south on one day a year, why not do so in a uniquely Canadian way? Make the third Friday in November "Buy Canadian Day" and offer the same sales with a smirk and an "eh?," eh?

I just hope we can do better than this.

Target takes advertainment to the next (cynical) level with "shoppable" film

I guess today's consumers are a cynical bunch. There was a time when product placements in entertainment were a dirty little secret. Then the '80s came, and a generation grew up with Saturday morning cartoons that were just 30-minute toy commercials. Young adult TV shows started to be sponsored by retail fashion brands. James Bond started selling BMWs controlled by Ericcson cellphones. Etc. Etc.

Fast-forward to the digital age of advertainment. People willingly watch long-form commercials that can be 5+ minutes long. They know it's all selling, and they don't mind at all. It's just the way it is.

Into this context comes the next convergence of advertising and entertainment: "shoppable film"



Next week, Target will launch "Falling For You," starring Kristen Bell (of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Veronica Mars). It's "a romantic comedy highlighting fall fashion, beauty and home product from Target—a clever extension of the fall marketing campaign."

In three online episodes, the target market can watch Kristen, along with Zachary Abel (“Make It or Break It”) and Nia Long (Fresh Prince of Bel-aire”, “Big Mama’s House”) play three Target employees bumbling their way through planning a fashion show. The video hints that two of the characters fall in love along the way — I'll assume they mean the two white people of opposite gender.

As they watch the "film," viewers can e-shop the clothes they see from Target without stopping the action. Because I'm sure it's riveting.

As Consumerist put it:

Are you sick of movies that try to ruin solid product placement with things like plot, action, and characters? Do you also ache to see B-list TV actors cashing a paycheck by appearing in extended commercials for a discount retailer? Then the folks at Target have got the show for you!

Unfortunate grocery store context

Via The Consumerist

Or is it? Happy weekend.

Sears Catalogue shocks America with covered glimpse of actual female human nipple

Oh, the humanity. Gawker was sure to post this "explicit image" that appeared in the Sears online catalogue with a "NSFW" (Not Safe For Work) tag. (While also linking to a large version of the pic for those of you at home.)

Apparently the catalogue designer grabbed the image from the supplier, Escante, and failed to give the model a creepy Photoshop nipplectomy.

First of all, in the days before pixel-by-pixel alteration of models' bodies, Sears print catalogues were an excellent source of nipples and the occasional pubis viewed through sheer and translucent undies. (I'm assuming 12-year-old me wasn't the only boy to notice this.) And then there's that time a male model apparently hung a rat.

Second, and this is for my readers in the United States, GET OVER IT! You have nipples. Your momma has nipples. If you're lucky, she fed you with them once. They're harmless, and actually kind of nice. Why do they scare you so?

Third, this is the opportunity I've been waiting for to link to this awesome New Yorker blogpost about how one of their editorial cartoons got censored by Facebook over two dots that represented "female nipple bulges".

Sigh.

Mall's "under construction" sign insults everyone #FdAdFriday

Via Jezebel

New Jersey's MarketFair Mall pulled the sign down after people petitioned it at change.org.

I think it's as insulting to the hardhats as it is to the women of the community. I don't see nearly as many of them committing street harassment as I did years ago. But then again, I'm not exactly a target.

I've heard of 'Sausage Fests' and 'Taco Parties'... #fdadfriday

...but what the hell is a Spinach Party? (And does it involve lemons?)

Via Happy Place

F'd Ad Fridays: Effin' SALE

This Japanese in-store advertising is actually kind of awesome.

Via Copyranter

Awesome Omaha hardware chain promotes zombie preparedness

So, the zombie apocalypse is upon us. You're going to need axes, chainsaws, wrecking bars, and lots of survival gear. Fortunately, most of it is available at your neighbourhood hardware store.

But why wait until the evil dead arise and start hungering for brains? You'll have to weave through shambling hordes of them to break into the hardware store, and it could all be for nothing if some other survivalist got there first. So if you're in or around Omaha, stock up today at Westlake Ace Hardware's Zombie Preparedness Center!

Liz Benditt, Westlake's director of customer relationship development, told Omaha.com "If we can help you with your lawn and your home, we can help you with the zombie apocalypse."

As you can see below, they even play both sides, offering zombies a way to "Delay Your Decay" (PDF).

The effort is an attempt to turn younger consumers on to the higher level of service and engagement offered by smaller hardware stores. And I think it's working. Their Facebook and Twitter are also worthwhile distractions.

Campaign by Omaha PR/ad agency Bozell
Tip via

F'd Ad Fridays: Why "try before you buy" does not apply to everything you wear

Ewww.

Also, "Wow! Those are cheap!

(Pic via The Consumerist)

Australian megagrocery spoof campaign says "up yours" to competition regulators

In Australia, there are rumblings that the nation's two largest supermarket chains, Coles and Woolworths, are conspiring to control food prices by pushing out independent competition.

First, some context. This is Coles' current ad campaign (which is disturbing enough when the finger probes that poor kid):



And this is the parody ad, uploaded on YouTube last month:

'Up yours' supermarket parody from whitesecretion on Vimeo.

Nice parody of a pretty annoying campaign. (And the Wiggles.)

Are you ready for the age of waste-free grocery shopping?

Where I live, grocery bags are on the way out. But can you imagine shopping at a supermarket that had no product packaging whatsoever?

According to Time:

"in.gredients will sell 100% package-free products. This means shoppers have to think ahead and bring their own containers. (The store will kindly offer disposable bags in case they forget.) The store plans to sell everything regular grocery stores do—grains, seasonal produce, spices, daily products, meat, beer, wine and cleaning materials—minus the junk food."

Actually, the store bags are "compostible", which achieves their goal of not adding to landfill, but does not fully support the "package free" vision. They also support local, seasonal and ethical suppliers. And need I add that they are also brand-free?

Hmmm... isn't that called a Farmer's Market? Or a bulk food store?

Anyway, this Austin business has successfully claimed a new retail food space from a marketing point of view. It's a good idea, provided they can crowdfund it. Although I imagine it will have a fairly select target market.

I just wish their infomercial wasn't so full of (organic, local, unpackaged) cheese...