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Author Topic: TV/Film: Diversity in advertising  (Read 2213 times)

PerditaPickle

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Diversity in advertising
« on: December 17, 2018, 05:29:02 pm »
I'm a big TV fan, but was never keen on TV advertising, except if it was clever and amusing.  (I've always joked that it's brainwashing, and I'll either fast-forward or at least mute the TV during the advertising breaks.)

But one thing it's started to prove really good for lately is presenting images of diversity to the populace.  We're starting to see lots more different sorts of peeps in adverts, who wouldn't traditionally have featured alongside the skinny models and groupings of actors representing families with two point four children.  At least here in England.  And some of them have really positive messages incorporated in the advert.

In fact there's even an advert made by one of the big high street banks which talks about how mental illness affects 1 in 4 at some point in their lives, and the fact it's made by a bank is fairly subtle, considering.

Is this the case where you are?  Do you have examples of where it's done well?  Are there also badly done examples, ones which make you cringe?

How do you feel about it overall?  It's contributing to a gradually more tolerant society over time, isn't it?  Or are there drawbacks that you can see?
« Last Edit: May 07, 2019, 05:15:51 pm by RandallS »
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PerditaPickle

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Re: Diversity in advertising
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2018, 08:43:30 pm »
It's contributing to a gradually more tolerant society over time, isn't it?  Or are there drawbacks that you can see?

One advert made, I think, by a price comparison website had me worried at one stage.  It depicted a man who was feeling smug about having made a saving, who was strutting down the street in 'traditional' male garb on his top half, but with super high heels & hot pants on his lower half and I worried that it might trigger off certain homophobic & transphobic people to feel even more strongly about their discriminatory views.

The same company later made a similar-ish ad with a chubby guy in workmans clothing doing a bit of pole dancing and etc, & that was fine.

But a third ad in the series had both good and bad points.  In the third ad, a whole bunch of the guys in hot pants & high heels and guys in workmans clothing are having a dance off, which was mildly amusing and I quite liked that bit.  However, at the end of the ad a big blonde woman comes onto the scene, and does some dance moves herself which has the effect of scaring everyone else off!  So I don't know how I feel about that, being a big girl myself.

I don't know if these ads run anywhere else but the UK, or if any TC members have seen the ones I'm talking about?

Edit: swapped and for &, also swapped a word for increased clarity
« Last Edit: December 21, 2018, 08:48:05 pm by Pickle »
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Re: Diversity in advertising
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2019, 06:42:31 pm »
How do you feel about it overall?  It's contributing to a gradually more tolerant society over time, isn't it?  Or are there drawbacks that you can see?

I like it, and I don't understand why it makes so many other people uncomfortable.
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Re: Diversity in advertising
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2019, 03:00:47 pm »
I'm a big TV fan, but was never keen on TV advertising, except if it was clever and amusing.  (I've always joked that it's brainwashing, and I'll either fast-forward or at least mute the TV during the advertising breaks.)

But one thing it's started to prove really good for lately is presenting images of diversity to the populace.  We're starting to see lots more different sorts of peeps in adverts, who wouldn't traditionally have featured alongside the skinny models and groupings of actors representing families with two point four children.  At least here in England.  And some of them have really positive messages incorporated in the advert.

In fact there's even an advert made by one of the big high street banks which talks about how mental illness affects 1 in 4 at some point in their lives, and the fact it's made by a bank is fairly subtle, considering.

Is this the case where you are?  Do you have examples of where it's done well?  Are there also badly done examples, ones which make you cringe?

How do you feel about it overall?  It's contributing to a gradually more tolerant society over time, isn't it?  Or are there drawbacks that you can see?

I'm not keen on being preached to by my Nabisco commercials -- after the Obergefell decision here every advertising exec and their grandmother was falling over themselves to tell me love had won -- but neither am I innately opposed to diversity in advertising. Black people, gay couples et al. exist and they buy products like everyone else; there's no good reason to lock them out of commercial wonderland.

My only real bone of contention is the occasional hysteric campaign demanding that whatever minority is fashionable be given media representation, as if it's some sort of right, but that's more often seen in relation to television shows and such rather than advertising.
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Re: Diversity in advertising
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2019, 02:19:21 pm »
I'm a big TV fan, but was never keen on TV advertising, except if it was clever and amusing.  (I've always joked that it's brainwashing, and I'll either fast-forward or at least mute the TV during the advertising breaks.)

But one thing it's started to prove really good for lately is presenting images of diversity to the populace.  We're starting to see lots more different sorts of peeps in adverts, who wouldn't traditionally have featured alongside the skinny models and groupings of actors representing families with two point four children.  At least here in England.  And some of them have really positive messages incorporated in the advert.

In fact there's even an advert made by one of the big high street banks which talks about how mental illness affects 1 in 4 at some point in their lives, and the fact it's made by a bank is fairly subtle, considering.

Is this the case where you are?  Do you have examples of where it's done well?  Are there also badly done examples, ones which make you cringe?

How do you feel about it overall?  It's contributing to a gradually more tolerant society over time, isn't it?  Or are there drawbacks that you can see?

I am looking forward to a day when (perhaps) diversity in advertising will be natural and everyday, and not some kind of political statement "LOOK!  Look at us!  See how progressive and inclusive we are!  buy our stuff..."  When the diversity is just inserted and not focused on...that is what I enjoy.

In general though, advertising just annoys me.  I know that hype sells and that the general sense of humor is pretty base...but so many commercials pretty much revolve around the idea that the customer who is being targeted is just...dumb!  And those really make me mad.  If your whole ad campaign is that I am too stupid to be able to do a basic thing without your product (or that I'm too stupid to make an informed choice so I should buy your thing), then it's a hard pass for me.  Most of the time, advertisements show me what products I won't buy, more than which ones I want to buy.
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