Firstly dear readers, an apology. I feel like I’ve been ranting a lot of late. I’m kinda hoping this will be the last rant for a little while (I’m *really* going to try, ok?).
So, anyways, back to the rant.
There’s an advert which has been driving me loopy-la-la of late.
It’s for a product called Oven Pride.
Now, of course it could be that the makers of Oven Pride are actually very smart, and figure that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. As such they’ve created a dreadful, sexist (and incidentally hideously low budget ad) in order to provoke a bloggers into responding just like I’m about to. If so, I take my hat off to them - they are bloody geniuses.
However, if (as I rather suspect), their creative agency, alongwith their frighteningly inept marketing department figure that this ad is an excellent way to sell products to women - then they are sorely mistaken.
For those of you fortunate enough never to have seen the ad - here you go:
So, lets break this down:
The Product
If the ad is to be believed, then it actually looks pretty good. I’m always a little suspicious of these types of ads. You see, I *really* like cleaning. (Yes, I know, I really need to get out more.) Anyways, as such I have in the past been sorely disappointed by cleaning products which just don’t deliver… Sucks to be me. (Or not, I mean if a poorly performing cleaning product is the biggest thing I have to worry about, then I guess my life is altogether dandy).
Anyhow, back to the point. It looks like the product works pretty well.
I also happen to know someone who purchased it, and they say that it works really well. Nice.
The Ad
The basic premise of the ad, is that men are inadequate, useless, stupid little creatures. Hmmm. Now that’s just offensive, right? Arguably you should be offended no matter which sex you are - because:
- if you’re a man, then you lack the faculties required to clean an oven - and you are beyond stupid
and
- if you are a woman, then the makers of this product also think that you are stupid - because your teeny tiny mind can only truly appreciate the value of said product by belittling men
It’s a bloody nonsense. The product might work, but I’ll NOT be buying it. And neither should you.
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I love the way they say “unique cleaning bag” but what they actually mean is “massive sandwich bag”.
If you need to use this product because fairy liquid and a bit of soaking just won’t do the job then you’re probably the kind of person that would never clean their oven….??!
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Ha - it is indeed a massive sandwich bag…
It’s a wonder that the guy in the ad doesn’t use it to suffocate his hideous gurning wife.
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Both myself and my mother looked at each other in disbelief when we saw this advert. can you imagine the uproar if an ad came out saying “so easy, even a woman can do it” ?!
and I saw better quality adverts done by students when I was in college..it’s awful!
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 5:25 pm
I see they already have a ‘pride’ range of products, but I feel they could really expand it…
- Pet Pride. Shove your pet in a bag …. wish wash … bob’s your uncle.
Got any ideas for any ‘pride’ products they could launch!?
on Apr 2nd, 2009 at 8:07 am
Now pet pride I like - hundreds of little vermin drowned in harsh chemical cleaning agents.
Perhaps they could also create a product for stag nights - stag pride? You pop the groom-to-be in the massive sandwich bag, pour on chemicals, shake and various nasty things could happen - (depending of course, on the variety which you purchase) his hair gets bleached / all his hair (including his eyebrows) fall out etc.
Nice - and far less labour intensive than the usual ‘chain the naked groom to be to a lamp post then shave him’.
on Apr 3rd, 2009 at 12:18 pm
I was going to blog about this as well, it’s so hideously offensive to both men and the general intelligence of the population. I was dumbstruck when I first saw it.
I think they probably just reasoned that people intelligent enough to see how bad the advert is are too clever to buy the product anyway.
on Apr 15th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
If people can’t see this product on the supermarket shelves they won’t be able to buy it. So, why not make a point of moving other Cleaning products(preferably better advertised, if there is such a thing!) to cover the Oven Pride boxes every time you visit the supermarket. As far as I’m concerned if this succeeds in preventing a single sale of Oven Pride products it is well worth doing. This concept can also be used with many other annoyingly advertised products.
on Apr 16th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
@Thomas - blog about it too! (although I’m guessing that they probably don’t bother to monitor stuff like that, so perhaps there’s little point)
@David - what can I say? I think I love you.
Your suggestion is nothing short of genius, I plan to implement said plan as soon as possible, and would encourage others to do likewise.
on May 20th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
I feel that the oven pride ad is sexist. I believe in the spirit of equality (which seems to be long forgotten) in that bigotry is to be identified by the victim. I am a male and find this offensive.
The ASA in New Zealand admitted in a report it published online (Re: a Kinder Bueno ad) that it may have viewed the same ad as sexist if a female had been the victim. They apply a test of what would be offensive to prevailing community standards. This is unfair, because society is currently at the stage where bigotry against men in advertising is widespread.
Products include the “All Men Are Bastards” knifeblock, showing a man with knives piercing though parts of his body including his head. See link below:
http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/knife-block/index.html;jsessionid=OhcT4t74kUDm5t7J9iHmIQ**
Then there are the clothes range for girls and young women which include the “Girls Kick Balls” slogan, showing a cartoon girl kicking a boy so hard in the testicles he is lifted off the ground. Even though this trivializes something that can cause serious harm even death for a male. See link:
http://www.davidandgoliathtees.com/index.php?mode=SRCH&term=balls
Then the men’s rights group Mankind successfully campaigned to get a “man” punching bag, aimed at female customers, removed from shelves at superdrug. See Link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/dec/07/1
on May 25th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Hi Richard,
Thanks for your comment. I’d agree that sexism does seem to be prevalent in advertising at the moment which is a shame.
Re the products which you’ve raised - well lets take them in turn.
The knifeblock? Personally I don’t think it’s sexist - just a bit of fun - it wouldn’t offend me if they did a female version.
The t-shirt? I think it’s just supposed to be tongue in cheek - I don’t think it’s actually encouraging women to run around kicking random men in the balls.
Finally the punch bag. Hmmm. I think it’s definitely in poor taste, but I wouldn’t necessarily concur that it’s sexist.
You raise an interesting point however; and I guess it depends on your definition of sexist. I would define sexism as an action/behaviour/statement which deliberately belittles or marginalises someone - based purely on their gender.
Perhaps I’m being overly simplistic, but I’m not sure how a product (such as the ones you’ve highlighted) can really make you feel marginalised.
If the products were all female - e.g. a female knifeblock, a t shirt bearing some kind of ‘women, know your place’ message, and a female punching bag - I wouldn’t be offended.
Although, again, I’d think the female punch bag was in poor taste.
on Jun 13th, 2009 at 3:02 am
Hi Hannah
Thanks for the reply.
While you yourself may be quite easy-going and would not take offense from an “All Women Are Bastards” knifeblock, with knives piercing through many parts of a woman, I am certain that many people women and men would (myself included).
Likewise a female shaped punch bag aimed at male customers, or t-shirts with a cartoon boy kicking a cartoon girl in the genital area.
Certainly society would not tolerate it. As with the male punching bag the products would probably be withdrawn. Latest UK government figures show that although 1 in 3 women will suffer domestic abuse, so will 1 in 5 men.
While the Oven Pride ad is not as severe as the examples I have given, for people who have been the victim of sexist bullying such stereotypes can have an intimidating and emotionally traumatic effect.
Thanks for covering this topic on your blog, btw, and allowing people to comment.