Just a Little Naughty

These three print ads for Rush (some form of ready-made drink?) are initially pretty fun. I like the sense of play, and the kid in me likes the grown-up take on the fairy-tale characters.

Fairy-tale women have historically been either good or evil—no in betweens. There’s no ambiguity at all in these cautionary tales. Women are usually represented as pure, virutious virgins (who happen to be beautiful, or become beautiful by the end of the tale) or evil ugly crones. Your outside appearance is a clear reflection of your inside.

Now, we all know in real life that this isn’t the case. We’re not black or white- we’re all varying shades of grey. (Think of the old virgin/whore dichotomy.) Women can’t be held to impossible standards, and a woman’s beauty shouldn’t be a reflection of whether or not she’s generous, caring, or friendly with woodland creatures. I think these ads playfully help to dispel these standards.

Another thing I like about these, is that with the slight exception of the Cinderella ad, is that they’re not emphasizing sex. Yes, the women are attractive, yes, their gaze is knowing, naughty and a tad seductive, but they aren’t baring their bodies or showing a lot of skin.

It’s mischievous, it’s impish, it’s fun. And hey- the costumes work well for Halloween.

These ads aren't very new-- I found them a month or so ago online, and forgot to note where. Any ideas?

Craigslist Readers reach out to Always

Remember my post about Always? Turns out some readers/posters on Craigslist aren't too keen on the new tagline either.

Dove: Evolution.

Another great film/commercial from Dove. Scary, huh?

Ogilvy & Mather for Dove Unilever.

HP, don't women use your computers?

HP's new line of ads, reviewed here by Seth Stevenson of Slate, are pretty spiffy. Great graphics, neat concept-- but, as Seth points out at the end of his review, and I was already there midway through; there are no women spokespeople for the brand. Plenty of interesting and varied male celebrities are shown discussing their HP notebooks. Not a gal among them.

If women make up 57% of current college students (and that figure is rising), and if college students are one of the most prolific computing groups, it'd make a hell of a lot of sense to market to them.

Flag it: Ending Relationship Abuse.

I've posted before about various types of domestic violence and abuse, and it's an issue that's going to keep coming up. However, this campaign for the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance addresses more than physical violence- it tackles the emotional and mental abuse as well. Jealousy, emotional blackmail, issues of control: these are things that leave a more lasting mark than a bruise. And it's not just heterosexual women who suffer either.

"The good thing about this project that it's not about abuse in a general way but giving the symptons a name like excessive jealousy or isolation." says Houtlust, and I totally agree. These early symptoms are like the early stages of a cold. If you catch them quick enough, they're relatively easier to handle then the full blown virus.

The Red Flag Campaign has its own site, with more information on how to support friends and also yourself. For a long time, the emotional portion of abuse, or even just emotional problems within a relationship, weren't treated as action issues. For the most part, they still aren't. If a couple has issues, it's between the couple. Hopefully this work will help start a dialogue, or at the very least, increase awareness. Your partner may not be hitting you, but that doesn't mean you're in a healthy relationship.

Grind it deeper?

Ok, first off, apologies for not telling people in advance that I was taking a small vacation last week. (It was nice. Good time in rural NY and PA.)

EDIT- As per the request below, the images from this post and comments based on them have been removed. 7/23/07