Feeling Dirty?

Last week I blogged about Starbuck’s “The Way I See It” advertising campaign. On Monday, I received the following email from CrossPointer Lisa Gray:

I was intrigued by the Starbucks blog you posted last week. I took several classes at UAB on propaganda and public persuasion that is constantly surrounding us. I try to be conscious of the advertisements I am exposed to on a daily basis.

Anyway, while I was washing my hair this week, I noticed the message on my conditioner bottle. The front of the bottle says, "Feeling Dirty? Slip into something silky." I thought that was a little inappropriate until I flipped the bottle around and looked at the back which said, "Blonde hair as dull as a virgin... daiquiri? Add a shot of sexy." Talk about stunned. I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting older or because I'm a mom now, but I was pretty shocked that this was on a bottle of shampoo. Whether SunSilk was making a sexual reference or a reference about drinking alcoholic beverages, I'm not certain. I simply wish I could take a shower without having to worry about some type of advertisement telling me what I have to do to fit in!

Welcome to the new age of advertising. More than just selling a product, advertisers are now selling an agenda. For Starbucks the agenda is anti-God. For SunSilk the agenda is sex.

Two years ago Vonda and I spent a weekend in New Orleans (pre-Katrina). During our stay in the Big Easy I watched an offensive ad for Orbits travel on the television. You’ve seen the commercial, where two people compete for travel arrangements in a game show format. The ad typically pits two business travelers together or two families vying to secure flight deals the fastest. One contestant uses Orbits, while the other uses a phone book. Of course the Orbits traveler always wins the game.

What made this particular ad so distinct was that it placed a family of four against two gay men. Needless to say, I was shocked. At first I did not believe my eyes. Later on that weekend, the commercial ran again, and this time I was sure Orbits was promoting homosexuality. Since then I have never seen the commercial in our market. Yet I am confident I saw it that weekend in New Orleans.

Again, I think we live in an age where more than products are being promoted. So are agendas. Lisa thanks for the email. Who knows what we will find out there next. Let me know of any of advertising propaganda you encounter.