Filed under: Brand Suicide, Comment, Communication Strategy, Crap Campaigns In History, Culture, Family, Marketing Fail, Sex
As I have written about many times previously, I read masses of magazines.
I always try and find a new title to check out every month – if only so it forces my old brain to look at new things.
Anyway, I was recently flipping through a US women’s magazine, when I came across this ad.
Now I could use this ad as the foundation for a post about how unfair and unkind it is that women are forced into a position where they have to choose between either having a family or building their career.
Or I could talk about the need for society to have an open and honest conversation about the unfair and prejudiced pressures, expectations and limitations they are placing on women.
Or I could talk about how we need to refresh the way ‘safe sex’ is taught in schools.
Or I could write about the issues I have with the way pharmaceutical companies are allowed to sell their products in the US.
Or I could just criticise the lazy and patronising way this ad speaks to the very people it is attempting to communicate with.
I could do any of those because they’re all worthy topics of ranting … but I won’t … because quite frankly, I can’t drag my eyes away from that ad.
You can see the brief can’t you …
“We’re talking to young, urban, white-collar women. They’re at a stage in their life where everything feels new and exciting and they want to experience it all. They don’t see limitations, they just see possibilities and are always looking for the next thing to stimulate their passions.
New Nexplanon ensures women can continue to plan on what’s next in their life by ensuring sex doesn’t give their plans any unexpected detours”.
Yep … some generalistic, contrived, cliched bullshit that – if anything – is patronising rather than reflecting the beliefs and opinions of millions of young women in the US.
And if you think I’m wrong, just look at that ad again.
Told you I was right. No wonder so many creatives hate planners.
So to the people at Nexplanon … 10 points for talking about an issue that needs talking about. But minus 200 points for doing it in the worst way possible.
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who fucking art directed this shit? ray charles?
Comment by andy@cynic April 21, 2016 @ 6:25 amAnd they made a subtle curve with the “next plans” icons to simulate a life journey. Hacks.
Comment by DH April 21, 2016 @ 6:40 amMaybe the spacing of the icons are also supposed to have some significance. For example, the gap between next job and next trip is so she can save up her money to buy the holiday but – once she’s on her overseas jaunt – she meets [based on the proximity of ‘next love’ to next holiday] her none-descript partner and they live happily ever after.
Comment by Rob April 21, 2016 @ 8:35 amspot the fucking planner. twat.
Comment by andy@cynic April 21, 2016 @ 8:55 amtheres worse than this shit campbell. every time i see a pharmaceutical company do some shitty ad and then buy the next 2 pages to deal with all the fucking potential medical side effects it is legally required to fess up to it makes me miss dear old england with her antiquated rules on fucking everything.
Comment by andy@cynic April 21, 2016 @ 6:27 amWhat’s to miss about England?
Comment by Billy Whizz April 21, 2016 @ 6:32 amUSA. USA. USA. USA.
1 the brits dont fucking let drug pushing fucks advertise
Comment by andy@cynic April 21, 2016 @ 6:56 am2 the brits make ads with subtlety, craft and fucking grace
3 it would mean im even fucking further away from you
No wonder you lost your empire.
Comment by Billy Whizz April 21, 2016 @ 7:13 amI think America is doing a good job of destroying it’s influence now Billy.
Comment by George April 21, 2016 @ 7:24 amTraitor.
Comment by Billy Whizz April 21, 2016 @ 8:22 amAt this rate Billy, you could be Trumps running mate.
Comment by Rob April 21, 2016 @ 8:36 amand if you think those fuckers consciously took on those issues in this ad youre the most stupid planner in a world of stupid fucking planners.
Comment by andy@cynic April 21, 2016 @ 6:31 amSadly, that’s fair.
Comment by Rob April 21, 2016 @ 8:36 amThat’s not the only reason creatives hate planners Rob. Don’t flatter yourself that there’s only 1 thing we don’t like about your types.
Comment by DH April 21, 2016 @ 6:38 amNext pink slip.
Comment by john April 21, 2016 @ 6:41 amNexplanon. For women who can’t commit.
Comment by Bazza April 21, 2016 @ 7:16 amI agree with Andrew that this ad was not designed to make a statement on the inequality women face, but to take focus group findings and create communication from them.
Comment by George April 21, 2016 @ 7:32 amI sarcastically applaud the use of “next love” to ensure there is no room for alienation, though I wonder how many focus group participants articulated a new romance was part of their 3 year plan. It feels very different to the other cliched independent spirit messages the ad wants to convey.
I love that a post about a terrible ad gets more response from you than everything else I write. Guess that’s what happens when you have 3 daughters in the house. Ha.
But in all seriousness, I agree with you and Andy … this is not an ad in response to the inequality women face every day. Maybe it touches on it, but it’s not making a statement about it. To be fair to them, I don’t think they claimed anything different … which makes a change from those that do because [1] most end up saying ‘if you buy this then you will be free from all the unfairness … which is actually accentuating the bullshit rather than solving it … or [2] they mention something so subtlety or casually in the creative, that the only reason you know they’re claiming it is taking on the issue is because their PR release talks and talks and talks about it.
Comment by Rob April 21, 2016 @ 8:42 amlike your secret deodorant campaign that made a big fucking deal about pushing equal pay when the message was just a narrative for some well shot but twee cliche shit that made women look insecure as fuck. do you mean that one? and dont get me started on you launching it on equal pay day and thinking that makes it a political statement. you guys are fucking better than that. or should be.
Comment by andy@cynic April 21, 2016 @ 9:03 amAndy FTW.
Comment by DH April 21, 2016 @ 9:09 amI am sorry to say Robert, but Andrew does have a point. I didn’t realise that commercial was by you guys. It is a very nice commercial, but there is a major difference between a storyline and a cause.
Comment by George April 21, 2016 @ 9:58 amAll I will say is I like the ad.
That said, I learnt the product was formulated to specifically deal with sweat produced by stress and that form of sweat is different both in its form and scent to other types of perspiration [apparently it is harder to get rid of and has a more potent scent]
I found this interesting, especially as it gives the product a more unique role, which is why I feel it could have been expressed a bit more overtly in the super than simply using the words ‘sweat tested’, as that could too easily be interpreted as a generic statement when it is anything but.
And that is all I will say on the matter. Ha.
Comment by Rob April 21, 2016 @ 10:57 amAnd you believed them when they told you that stress sweat existed and that it could be targetted?
Comment by john April 21, 2016 @ 4:08 pmIt does exist, it’s a scientific fact, however like all perspirants – it can’t solve the problem, just hide it.
Comment by Rob April 21, 2016 @ 4:29 pmAll sweat is stress-related. Just differnt types of stress.
Comment by john April 21, 2016 @ 4:57 pmThat’s the intellectual response, but apparently not the medical one. And the only reason I can say that is because when I read it, I was skeptical and asked a Dr friend of mine who then told me about the different responses the body has to situations – from exercise to stress.
Apparently.
Comment by Rob April 21, 2016 @ 5:04 pmfinally dan gets something out of you campbell. shame its only some corporate fucking toadiness.
Comment by andy@cynic April 21, 2016 @ 10:43 pmThat’s all he’s got.
Comment by DH April 21, 2016 @ 11:51 pmunfuckingfair. hes got shit shoes and shorts no one wants as well.
Comment by andy@cynic April 22, 2016 @ 2:45 am