Having watched several friends go through menopause, it is something I'm pretty glad I will not ever have to go through. However, I think that the use of menopause to illustrate just how cool and refreshing a smoothie is kind of genius. Sure, it could be interpreted as trivializing a natural condition experienced by women as they age--but it could also be seen as the only advertisement directly speaking to a massive demographic of women that are largely ignored by Madison Ave.
For example, you can't watch TV for more than ten minutes, it seems, without seeing four ads for something to do with erectile dysfunction. Everything is about how dudes have to keep that willy hard, and the women in those commercials are trivialized as being co-dependents whose only goal in life is to ride on an artificially enhanced joy-rod. Even when talking about something that's embarrassing to dudes, the advertising has to find a way to objectify the ladies. Where is the media marketing towards middle-aged women that's at all directing itself towards their issues?
Honestly, you've got to be pretty hard-pressed to find any. Meanwhile, JitB is taking a pretty big risk with this advertisement. Not only are they potentially stepping on toes by mixing edgy humor with a serious topic, they are specifically mentioning one demographic and ignoring all else. Are they trying to sell smoothies to dudes with deflated dingies? No. Is the woman "street rat crazy" because she's probably married to a dude with one of those? Quite possibly. Can we put two and two together that maybe JitB is offering 24 ounces of delicious relief to women suffering menopause, and could not care less about flaccid men? I think it could be argued as such, yes.
Anyway, whatever. I'm not going to convince anybody one way or the other, but thought I'd add my two cents.
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Having watched several friends go through menopause, it is something I'm pretty glad I will not ever have to go through. However, I think that the use of menopause to illustrate just how cool and refreshing a smoothie is kind of genius. Sure, it could be interpreted as trivializing a natural condition experienced by women as they age--but it could also be seen as the only advertisement directly speaking to a massive demographic of women that are largely ignored by Madison Ave.
For example, you can't watch TV for more than ten minutes, it seems, without seeing four ads for something to do with erectile dysfunction. Everything is about how dudes have to keep that willy hard, and the women in those commercials are trivialized as being co-dependents whose only goal in life is to ride on an artificially enhanced joy-rod. Even when talking about something that's embarrassing to dudes, the advertising has to find a way to objectify the ladies. Where is the media marketing towards middle-aged women that's at all directing itself towards their issues?
Honestly, you've got to be pretty hard-pressed to find any. Meanwhile, JitB is taking a pretty big risk with this advertisement. Not only are they potentially stepping on toes by mixing edgy humor with a serious topic, they are specifically mentioning one demographic and ignoring all else. Are they trying to sell smoothies to dudes with deflated dingies? No. Is the woman "street rat crazy" because she's probably married to a dude with one of those? Quite possibly. Can we put two and two together that maybe JitB is offering 24 ounces of delicious relief to women suffering menopause, and could not care less about flaccid men? I think it could be argued as such, yes.
Anyway, whatever. I'm not going to convince anybody one way or the other, but thought I'd add my two cents.
May 11, 2009 - 8:55pmThis Comment
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