Offensive Advertising

Maria Stroia
ms973013@ohio.edu

Being Innovative In A Fast-Paced Society

In a world where people are constantly being bombarded by advertising, it can become increasingly more and more difficult for marketing professionals to get their message out there. Ads no longer just advertise a product, but add to the brand as a whole. Creative ideas must catch the intended audience's attention and be memorable. Good ads stick with the viewer even after they are exposed to the ad.

How Far Can You Go?

As marketing and public relations professionals work harder and harder to catch their audience's attention, they also must be sensitive to the many ways the audience can perceive the message. Recently, an ad by Dove soap went viral for all the wrong reasons. The brand Dove, often known for their campaigns meant to uplift and inspire women, missed the mark with a short Facebook spot that pictured a black woman removing her shirt and becoming a white women, then the white woman removing her shirt and becoming an Asian women. The ad appeared on Facebook and only lasted about 4 seconds long, and was a part of a larger campaign that was accompanied by a longer ad that was not offensive. However, many viewers were only exposed to the Facebook spot.

Of course, the ad was not intended to imply that white women are better than black women, however, many viewers believed that the ad subtly reinforced that message, and that Dove missed the mark in what they were trying to communicate. Dove apologized for the misunderstanding, but many viewers vowed to boycott Dove, especially because they have had some offensive ads in the past. The hastag #DoneWithDove began to trend on social media.

How could Dove have let something like this slide? Such a big company surely has a great budget for advertising, and many ads are likely to be vetted before being produced. But in todays fast-paced digital market, ads must be produced and published faster and faster, allowing some unsavory ads to slip by without going through things like focus groups or legal counsel.

Take A Stand

Despite the fact that offensive ads may never be 100% preventable, there are ways that marketing and PR professionals can protect themselves from being in situations. They need to speak up! Be sure that the vetting process is taken seriously, and they are listening to the opinions of those who did not work on the campaign. Be sure that you are considering minority groups when you are planning your campaign, and not glossing over serious issues.

The platform The Branding Beat offers 12 examples of real offensive advertising that was published, while also including a few steps that can help guide someone who is vetting an ad. Guidelines such as "Don't Be Insulting" and "Keep It Clean" are simple things to keep in mind while producing ads.

Following steps like these and listening to the voices of others can help prevent putting your company and client in a difficult situation. Firms must have guidelines for vetting their creative ideas.