Mark Duffy has written the Copyranter blog for 11 years and is a freelancing copywriter with 25-plus years of experience. His hockey wrist shot is better than yours.
Bravo, fellow creative ad bros. We continue to make art and write poetry, and we continue to be the reigning kings of content. And sex still sells — when the content is executed with confident male panache. However, we are under constant attack by this new trigger-warning, butt-hurt society! And we are also under attack from within: by our creative female co-workers (all 3 percent of them).
Here, then, is one creative bro’s call to arms against a sea of PC detractors. You say “sexism”? We say “reactionism.” You say “misogyny”? We say “misandry”!
Blush, Germany (2016)
Last week, German lingerie brand Blush launched a new campaign titled: “The Blush Course Integration,” “targeting” all the new Muslim refugees. Here’s its press note:
“Germany took (in) more than 1 million refugees in 2015 — mostly from Muslim countries. Is it a threat to female equality and women’s liberation? Blush is offering the Blush Course Integration.”
Some will call these ads — via Blush’s long-time Berlin agency glow — “sexist” and “insensitive.” Some others will wonder: Why in hell is a luxury lingerie brand targeting displaced Muslims? My only wonder is: When will this uptight sexless generation lighten up?
The campaign was written by creative director/copy bro Johannes Krempl — fist bump-explosion, Jo (pronounced, “Yo” in German)!
TaxSlayer, online (2016)
OLD MAN: “How bout ‘I’m not married, who’s going to do my taxes?'”
LESS OLD MAN: “Darrin, this isn’t 1950. We need to be more passive aggressive, more fake positive, more backhanded complimentary …”
GAP, GAP UK (2016)
Sexist? Malarkey. Ask the cute little girl if she’d rather be a “little scholar” wearing a t-shirt with “Einstein” spelled wrong or the most popular goddamn girl in her class.
Legal Sea Foods, USA (2016)
The northeast seafood chain ran this ad in the Boston Globe in July. Negative Twitter ninnies called the ad “hateful,” “disgusting,” and “misogynistic.” Please. This is one great photo of Hillary!
As Legal Sea Foods CEO Roger Berkowitz said: “…the common perception of Hillary is that she’s a little bit cold, not exactly warm and fuzzy. This was a way for us to say OK, she’s a little cold, let’s do something with sushi. It is absolutely not politically motivated.”
Sexism doesn’t get more casual. Jeez, go outside, go fishing, or something.
I Love Ugly, New Zealand (December 2015)
Lastly, a Kiwi campaign from last Christmas riled the rabid “new feminists.” Men’s jeweler I Love Ugly showcased their new ring collection by placing them on male hands on female bodies. Modern art, if you ask me.
Again the Twitter police brayed, saying that the campaign was “gross,” “sexist as Hell,” and that it “objectified to women.” Hogwash. It celebrated women; it literally embraced women.
Oh, and one last note before you email the editors: In case you missed it, this is very bad, very thinly veiled (possibly even veil-less) satire.
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