Ads about periods too much for MTA

I don't really like these ads much, but I don't see anything offensive about them. The media agency for Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYC) however, has issues with the imagery, and even the word "period." (MTA itself was not involved in the decision.)

From mic.com:

According to Veronica del Rosario, Thinx's director of marketing, the representative was concerned that children would see the word "period" in the ad and ask their parents what it meant. When Thinx later submitted the ad with the word "period" in the copy, the agency told them they could not run the copy "as is." 

"I stated [to an Outfront rep] that it was extremely disheartening that [certain other ads] could fly, but something for women that speaks directly to women isn't OK by them," del Rosario told Mic. "He replied, 'This is not a women's issue. Don't try to make it a women's rights thing.'"

Apparently, they were also concerned with the amount of skin showing in the Thinx ads, as well as the  cheeky use of a grapefruit and the contents of an egg.

MTA has run some rather obnoxious breast augmentation ads before, but apparently children are going to be more traumatized by being reminded of the very organs that made them.

These Open vagina ads crack me up

Oh, sorry if you came expecting something different. I meant to say "these vaginal moisturizer ads by Toronto creative shop Open are actually funny. And while many products have exploited the v-word in this Year of The Vagina, these ones are actually kind of appropriate.

Check out this one:

And...

As Adfreak's Rebecca Cullers explains, this is a very different campaign than all those horrible douche, whitening and tightening ones, because the product is actually useful:

...there will be no feminist outcry here. The product is well positioned, the copy is sassy and targeted at older women who are quite familiar with the suggestion that age has rendered them sexually inadequate. In fact, I'd say Damiva has a perpetual market so long as it's easier to buy a pill than to explain to your "honey" what constitutes adequate foreplay. But before all the pre-menopausal women in the house go hog wild trying to relive the carefree, lubricated days of their youth, know that Mae by Damiva is not compatible with latex condoms.

I'd love to know if this was the work of a female creative team. Anyone?

Original tip via Adrants 

Possibly the best maxi pad campaign ever

It started with a Facebook post:

It was probably a plant (although Richard's profile is pretty established) but who cares? Truly funny sarcasm trolling has become a popular sport online, and posts like this do occasionally show up.

In this case, I don't really care about the authenticity of the setup. It's Bodyform's response that rules:

It's funny, it's truthful, and it even squeezes in (or rather, "out") a fart joke.

Oh yeah, and she drinks the "blue water":

Sure, it makes men look kind of dumb in a tropey kind of way. (And they missed a golden chance to make those guys actually look like they were from the '80s.) But of all the efforts that have been made to break out of the advertising clichés around feminine hygiene, this is by far my favourite.

 Gotta love the Brits!

Tip via The Drum

2012 will be remembered as the Year of The Vagina

Via Strong Intelligent Women Choosing Equality & Freedom Instead Of Religion

Vagina, vagina, vagina. Rhymes with "Regina". Comes from the Latin word for "sheath". And it has become the defining word of the partisan split over women's health rights in the United States.

The word, both naughty and deeply personal, has been enjoying a renaissance of late, as advertisers have used it as the final frontier of sexuality in advertising. But surprisingly, it isn't usually aimed at men. Thanks to 16 years of The Vagina Monologues, the word has become an empowering shibboleth for women, inevitably being exploited to sell feminine hygiene products. Even cynically so.

But now it's political. With the "War on Women" being a defining issue in the 2012 US Presidential Election, "Vagina" is everywhere. In February, Oklahoma Sen. Judy McIntyre (D) protested the intrusiveness of that state's pending "Personhood" bill with a sign that read "If I wanted the government in my womb, I'd fuck a Senator." In May, a woman wearing that slogan on a tee shirt was refused boarding by American Airlines.

It seems that "vagina" is now symbolic of the divide between those who believe that human rights begin at conception, and trump the adult woman's, and those who think the opposite.

It has led to some really ridiculous scenes. This month, Michigan Rep. Lisa Brown (D) was officially banned from speaking on the house floor after stating (in response to a debate on restricting access to emergency contraception) "I'm flattered you're all so interested in my vagina. But no means no."

Republican Rep. Mike Callton, The Week reports, said Brown's choice of words "was so offensive, I don't even want to say it in front of women. I would not say that in mixed company."

Vagina. (Just needed to get that out of my system.)

In retaliation, a number of women State Representatives joined Vagina Monologues author Eve Ensler for a command performance of her groundbreaking play about women's sexuality.

Via CTV

As well, the incident has inspired some empathetic men to join in on the fun, via YouTube:





I am enjoying the mockery. Hopefully, it will motivate those who are already predisposed to this side of the issue to get more politically active, via groups like Rock The Slut Vote. Because it sure won't change the mind of anyone on the opposite side. When you're dealing with religious convictions, mockery only makes them stronger by validating their own fears of religious persecution.

This is going to be an interesting year in the United States. A year in the hands of people who have vaginas. And I wish them the best of luck. Not only because I support them politically, but also because they are reclaiming the true meaning of the word "vagina" — that is, the internal organ.

As a word man, I wince whenever people misuse the word when they mean to say "vulva"...

Rebel propaganda from the US #waronwomen

by "Rain L." Source

MoveOn.org calls it, "The Most Disturbing Way To Encourage People To Vote That We've Seen This Year."

I think it's awesome.

As fringe American conservatives continue to restrict women's reproductive rights in the United States, this poster is an iconic reminder of the bad old days of back-alley abortions.

What won't you put in your... you-know-what? #FdAdFriday

The normalization of the word "vagina" in public discourse continues with this fun campaign by Sir Richard's Condoms:



This is part of a viral campaign for their "chemical-free" condoms, which invites women to fill in this blank:

The company is encouraging sharing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #VaginaRule.

They are also dabbling, once again, in sexual politics:

Good for them! Not only for a funny and empowering campaign, but for using the word "vagina" in an anatomically correct way.

Tip via AdFreak

Pink Stink: Susan G. Komen for the Cure gets political

Update: Jezebel reports (Feb 3) that Komen has reinstated funding to Planned Parenthood.

 Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the most powerful brand in the world involved in fundraising for breast cancer prevention and research, has had its share of problems.

There was "Buckets for The Cure" — remember that?

Putting their brand, indiscriminately, on any retail item (regardless of whether it was healthy or not) gave rise to the pinkwashing backlash. Not only was the appropriateness of the various cobrandings questioned by many, but also the efficacy of the fundraising and their aggressive trademark practices.

The last straw, for me, was when they launched their own line of perfume which Breast Cancer Action claimed contains cancer-causing compounds.

Increasingly, this organization seems to operate like any big brand, with a ruthless desire to grow its influence, generate revenue, and eliminate competition. Is that really what cause marketing is supposed to be about?

Their response:

"Research doesn’t come cheap. We need to raise money, and we’re not apologetic about it,” [spokesperson Leslie] Aun said. Komen, founded in 1982, has contributed $685 million to breast cancer research and $1.3 billion to community programs that help with mammograms, transportation and other needs, Aun said. Komen would love not to have to do marketing, but that simply is not realistic, she said. 

“We don’t think there’s enough pink. We’re able to make those investments in research because of programs like that.”

But much of Komen's credibility as a serious champion of women's health collapsed this week when it was learned that they decided to stop funding breast screening for low-income women through Planned Parenthood.

The politics are ugly. The anti-abortion lobby in the United States has been trying to shut down planned parenthood for the past couple of years, convincing governments to defund its health operations because they include the provision of abortions (in addition to birth control and many other community health services).

According to the Washington Post, two women can be credited with Komen going political and joining the ranks of the American pro-life movement. Komen's Vice President for Policy for the past year, Karen Handel, is a politician who made a run at the Governorship of Georgia on an anti-abortion ticket. And then there's Americans United for Life President Charmaine Yoest, who is responsible for Planned Parenthood being investigated by the Energy and Commerce Committee — giving Komen the excuse to defund.

Oh, and what's this?

"Immediately after hearing the news of the Komen Foundation’s decision to withdraw its funding from Planned Parenthood, breast cancer survivor Dr. Charmaine Yoest registered 'Team Life' and pledged to rejoin the Global Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C. on June 2, 2012. 

'The Komen Foundation’s decision to disassociate itself from the scandal-ridden abortion provider should be applauded and encouraged by pro-life women across the country,' said Dr. Yoest."

This decision by Komen to firmly entrench itself in the politics of reproductive choice will be a fateful one. It will certainly lead to more support by those who side with the decision. But what about the millions of "mainstream" supporters — including many women's health groups — who were happily buying pink and doing fundraising as an apolitical feel-good move? Do they really want to have to choose sides?

The backlash has already begun.

There is an interesting result of all the media frenzy, though. Gothamist reports that through online networking alone, Planned Parenthood was able to raise $650,000 (the number keeps going up) in private donations in just 24 hours. Last year, Komen's funding was $680,000.

With government funding for not-for-profits on the decline anyway, Planned Parenthood may want to look to social media fundraising as the way of the future.

UPDATE: Mashable reports that Komen has also pissed off the hacker community:

Ouch.

F'd Ad Fridays: Now you can be a sexy eating disorder for Halloween

This costume is, at least, scary:

From Feministing:

The picture on the website shows a young, thin, Caucasian woman with large breasts sporting a short, skintight black dress with the outline of a skeleton on it. She is wearing a red, circular button that reads “Anna Rexia”. The ribbon tie belt around her waist has the markings of a tape measure.

The author, Camille, adds:

I don’t see this site, or any others, marketing costumes like “Sexy Leukemia Patient” or “Slutty Angiodysplasia Victim”. And why would I? Those are “real” conditions.

Well, she seems to have gotten through. The e-commerce link to the product is 404ed.

F'd Ad Fridays: Bad anatomy

Gah! The monster baby's feet must stick out of her mouth.

Via Photoshop Disasters

For the love of all that is vaginal, please stop!

Summer's Eve pissed off women and men alike last year with their appalling "deodorize your ladybits before asking for a raise" ad. Then they baffled with their attempted "That's So Vaginal!" viral.

Now, they're continuing their (ironic, in my opinion) celebration of the vagina in this over-the-top epic:



"Show it a little love"? Seriously?  I'm sure that you already know the best way to love yourself below is to keep scented and irritating products the hell out of there.

According to AdFreak, Summer's Eve attempted to stop the bad PR by going on a "listening tour" of the United States. The result is this campaign from The Richards Group that quickly goes from glorifying ancient motherhood and fertility cults to positioning a woman's sex as a possession for men to fight and kill over. And this is supposed to be a step forward?

This unmitigated crapfest follows hot on the heels of a YouTube campaign featuring patronizing talking vaginahands:









Here's an idea: if you really care so much about women's intimate health, stop spreading misinformation about the malodorousness and care of their privates just to sell useless and damaging chemical crap.

And leave the vagina viral marketing to Mooncup. They do it way better.

That may be it for Work That Matters this week. I'm off to the mostly-offline bliss of the cottage. After reviewing a campaign like this, I need a break from being an adman.

F'd Ad Fridays: That's... WHAT?

Blame Eve Ensler. When she started The Vagina Monologues, 15 years ago, she also began the journey of an anatomical term from being confined to doctors offices and awkward sex ed classes to everyday conversation.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for a frank and open public dialogue about sexuality. (Although I still feel that people should be more accurate when they're talking about the "vulva") But leave it to marketers to take a good thing and ruin it.



Speaking of ruining a good thing, do you not also find it ironic that Summer's Eve, a company founded on the premise that women's genitals are naturally dirty and smelly, is pretending to celebrate the very thing their product denigrates (and possibly damages)?

This fake blog, hosted by a... pussy with a fist in it (?) was started last week as a stealth effort, and outed its branding only yesterday. It is attempting to start a meme by promoting the word "vaginal" in place of "awesome" - similar to "It's OK to say 'Takei'", but not as likable. Nonetheless, it's all over Twitter today.

Now it's encouraging user submission:

"To submit a vaginal video or photo, simply upload it to your YouTube, Vimeo or Flickr account, click the SUBMIT NOW button below and email me the link. If I agree that your submission is indeed vaginal, I will gladly post it to my blog – just let me know how to attribute your genius work with your preferred user name."

But just in case you took "vaginal video" literally, it has the disclaimer that:

1. It be awesome
2. It be non-pornographic
3. You own the content

What do you think of the campaign? Personally, I hate it, but mostly because it's for a consumer brand I really detest.

If it were a campaign to get people talking about real vaginal health, like Julyna, I'd be much less of a douche about it.

Mooncup presents: way too many synonyms for "vagina"

Mark from Osocio shared this amusing video on Twitter, for the menstrual cup manufacturer Mooncup:



The lyrics are based on user submissions from loveyourvagina.com, a campaign microsite now over a year old, that talks about the product's health and environmental benefits, and invites women to share their own pet names for their pudenda.

The top entries so far (99% of which I assume were offered by my fellow men) are:

The raspberry cave, Liltulip, Lady gaga, Penis flytrap, Falangee, Vagibagi, Sashimi, Vaginator, Nether regions, La vajajay, Bananajaja, Stikkio, Vagillow, Chachina, Vajingi, Dr muffenstein, Forrie, Jabba the hutt, Farfy, Savvanah the sexi, Boof, Wahola, My little, Pakangkang, Spencer, Flamoush, Super, Pusspuss, Pussalinda, Fisse, The beach, Guhther, Gobbleitallup, Ginee, Hoo nanny, Sweet pie, Picika, Flimflam, Jungle, Jackpot, Blueberry, Love shack, Pink kryptonite, Down stairs, My love nub, Fupa, Far south, Picza, Ninny ninny nine no nu, Fanny long stockings, Off limits, Mc lovin', Candy, Cherry, Minnie the moocher, Fenella, High china, Poom, Mervis, Loo lah, Chochi, Zina princess warrior, Slug of love, Minnie ha ha, Tiffany, Geoff, Pa-cha-cha, Love bits, Milkshake, Felma, Vageesh, Moobies, Smurfette, Foef, The mouse's ear, The furry cup, Lady star, Fica, Lovesump, Ferlangee, Mucka, Woobie, Minney, The last supper, Whisker biscuit, Anne fan fanny, Bit, Foofie g, Mrs tickle, The place of no return, Basket, Funini, Place of business, Cavern of secrets, My ladybeak, Perrechooo, My delta love cave, Pink lotus, Wikerty splikerty, Fru fru :), Hairy cup, Pooey tooey, "v" reg, Pookey, Foufoune, My girlfriend, Lisbeth, Vertical smilenot, My netherlands, Firecrotch, Constance, Billie va-jean, Nou-nou, Pansy, Tropical flower, Platypussy... and literally hundreds more.

Effective user engagement, or just puerile fun? Only their sales will tell.

Meanwhile, here's the classic male version:

Breast Ironing in Cameroon. Yes, I said "breast ironing"...

This ~8 minute documentary by the Current focuses on a weird but tragic new cultural trend in Cameroon called "breast ironing".

If that term itself doesn't already have my female readers cringing, here is a description from the accompanying article:

The 'ritual' is performed by massaging the girls' chests with heated objects like stones, in order to reverse their pubescent development. The mums say it's driven by fear of unwanted male attention, rape and pre-marital pregnancies.

Now that you've been duly warned, here's the video. It's appropriately graphic and disturbing:



This is one of those situations, like genital mutilation, that tests our respect for cultural differences among humanity. How could any mother do that to her daughter? How could anyone think that the masking of secondary sex characteristics is proof against sexual activity — or, for that matter victimization?

There is something you can do about it. The African National Network of Aunties Associations, RENATA, is campaigning against the practice.

From their campaign site:

Problem:

- 24% have experienced breast ‘ironing’
- It includes the use of hot objects (spoons, herbs, stones or leaves) or salt and petrol
- The risk of having the breasts ‘ironed’ is twice for girls who develop breasts before the age of nine years

Why are the breasts of adolescents ironed?

Many people think:

- That the breasts will attract men
- That the breasts make girls sexually active early and that they risk to become pregnant
- That the girls can grow up normally and can continue their education when their breasts are ‘ironed’

Consequences:

- Massaging the breasts of girls with hot objects terribly hurts and can completely destroy the breasts
- Breast ‘ironing’ can traumatize and negatively affect the girls for the rest of their lives
- It can have negative influence on their sexual behavior
- Physical consequences of breast ‘ironing’ are: horrible pain, abscess and itching, leakage of milk, cysts, picks on the breast, infection of the breasts and strong fever, asymmetric breasts, total disappearance of breasts
- This practice can favor the risk of developing breast cancer

RENATA takes donations of as little at $10 online. Let's just leave it at that.

What "iheartmom" is really all about

This week, I've introduced you to our iheartmom.ca viral campaign starring Joannie Rochette. I've talked about the evolution of women's heart health as a social marketing issue. I've shared the ups and downs of trying to take a campaign viral. And I talked a bit about the new technologies we're adopting to raise funds.

Today, I'd like to put the spotlight on our cause marketing client, The University of Ottawa Heart Institute. As Canada's top cardiovascular health centre, The Heart Institute is a prime destination for surgeons who teach and conduct research, cardiologists who undertake basic science, investigators who operate clinics, among over 1,000 other health professionals.

Their work is global in scale, including identifying the first major heart health risk factor since cholesterol — the 9p21 gene, unlocking the mechanism controlling a gene that regulates weight loss, and developing a biomaterial that grows new blood vessels.

First Donation / Premier don
Originally uploaded by University of Ottawa Heart Institute

This campaign is gaining great awareness worldwide, but after an initial big cheque, donations are slow coming in. Please join our Facebook cause page or click the "iheartmom" button at the bottom of this post to support research, education, and treatment of women's hearts.

And please send your mom (or grandma, sister, daughter, wife, cousin, friend, etc.) this series of potentially life-saving videos produced by The Heart Institute. Each one has an important health tip for women about protecting and maintaining heart health, and especially for recognizing women's unique cardiac danger signals:











(More to come next week!)

Ready to support this cause now? For Mom? join our Facebook page or hit the button.

I heart you, Mom.

The heart of the issue

This week, in support of our iheartmom.ca campaign for women's heart health, I'm going to look at the development of female-specific heart disease awareness as a social marketing initiative.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, but has far less mindshare than breast and cervical cancer in the public discussion of women's health.

Why is this? Part of the problem, according to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, is that women's heart attack symptoms are different (and often less dramatic) than men's. They can be mistaken for an anxiety attack, flu, or general lightheadedness.

You can see the low awareness of women's heart health in this American PSA from two years ago:



And here is a good explanation of women-specific symptoms and issues:



The situation is changing, though, through the World Heart Federation's "Go Red for Women" campaign.



The campaign also gets corporate and celebrity support.



The international outreach is funded by the American Heart Association's "Go Red" movement, around Valentine's Day and Heart Month.



Here in Canada, the Red Dress campaign recently took the form of The Heart Truth Fashion Show, by the Heart & Stroke Foundation.


(Photo from Contact Music)

Hey, that model looks familiar.



Oh, yeah. It's Joannie Rochette.

Please support, and spread the word about, women's heart health. Visit iheartmom.ca

iheartmom.ca

Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette won a bronze medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, but her time on the podium was shadowed by tragedy. Just two days before she competed, her mother Therese died of a heart attack.

Joannie not only went on, but achieved a career best. Now, she has committed herself to raising awareness and funds to fight heart disease in women:



We at Acart are also committed to this cause. Just two weeks ago, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute came to us with their idea for creating a Mother's Day campaign around Joannie's involvement in their cause. And so, in a flurry of strategy, creative development, and on-the-fly production, we managed to put together the "iheartmom" campaign — filming the PSA on-site at the Heart Institute while Joannie was in Ottawa for a brief visit.



The online PSA leads to the campaign site, iheartmom.ca, where people are encouraged to donate directly or raise funds via Facebook (there's also a contest element where you can win a Caribbean cruise!)

Some facts on heart disease in women

• Heart disease is the #1 killer of women aged 55 or older
• Women of all ages represent 50% of heart disease deaths in Canada
• In 2005, more than 25,000 Canadian women died from heart disease
• More than one-third of women aged 45 and over have high blood pressure
• Heart disease risk in women increases with age and the onset of menopause
• Heart attack is not uncommon in women in their 30s
• Women’s heart attack symptoms can include unusual fatigue, trouble sleeping, indigestion and anxiety up to one month before a heart attack

The French campaign, "mamandemoncoeur", is running in parallel.



There's also a video of the press conference here.

Please help us help Joannie help moms everywhere have healthier hearts. Share this blog.