Brand Republic the advertising industry trade mag and the Independent media section are reporting that the Outdoor Advertising Association are to run ads featuring the slogan 'Career Women Make Bad Mothers' on the side of buses and elsewhere. This is to promote the power of outdoor advertising - gets people talking innit.
Here is the link - bit.ly/4VQ1Z8 - to the Inde item, which itself links through to the Brand Republic item.
No doubt the person who thought this catchy campaign up (an 80s adman, one Garry Lace) will even as I type be wetting his pants in glee that someone has posted about it on Mumsnet. But does he really think the mass of the population will suddenly be moved to ruminate on the utility of outdoors advertising when they see the ad ... or will they just think 'ha! career women are bad mothers, I always thought so - it says so on that bus!'.
Click here to find out more about Garry Lace and his firm
www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/09/garry-lace-campbell-beta
I must say I'm tempted to take a few dirty nappies down to Garry's offices which are at 36-38 Carnaby Street
www.betalondon.com
(0) 207 734 2949
HerBeatitude
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:26:31
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annh
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:26:52
Surely that could be reported to the Advertising Standards Association? Mrs Crocoduck, being a career woman is not mutually exclusive to loving your children dearly or looking after them! There are an awful lot of hours left over after work is done!
Awassailinglookingforanswers
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:27:40
mrscroco - you seem to have some sort of axe to grind with working mothers?
HerBeatitude
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:29:14
oh god let's not argue about the central proposition or take mrscrockdick seriously, that's us doing what they want. Let's talk about what a bunch of wankers adland are, how sexist they are, what jurassic working practices so many of them still have and how I will urge my dd not to have anything to do with them unless the industry has completely revolutionised its attitude to women by the time she is of an age to take up a career.
Awassailinglookingforanswers
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:29:29
quality over quantity is my mantra
(and no I don't work)
rainbowinthesky
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:29:33
I don't know any working mothers who leave their children with strangers. I didn't really understand your point about a child whose parents are working not being raised by them so I ask again who is raising the child if the parents both work???
What about fathers? Are they not raising their child and are they bad parents for working??
havoc
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:29:56
Agree with TinaSparkles, if it isn't a breach of the sex discrimination act, it should be. No one would ever say 'Working Men make bad fathers'
FunnyLittleFrog
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:30:20
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mrscroco are you really Mrs Gary Lace
dittany
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:31:57
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DorotheaPlenticlew
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:34:34
<vom>
FlightAttendant
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:35:21
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Harriedandflustered
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:36:01
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dittany
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:37:11
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Are there meny mothers in marketing firms like this? It all sounds a bit Mad Men to me.
What is a 'career woman' exactly ? Is it the same as a 'career man?'
This ad has seriously pissed me off
skidoodle
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:40:56
WTF is a "career" woman?
As far as I can see it's a pejorative term in itself that sneers at women's aspirations to have interesting jobs that matter to them, whether or not they have children.
I've never heard of a "career man" so I don't recognise the existence of the "career woman", the whole notion is insulting and demeaning.
Yes working mothers are going to feel great getting on that bus....
DorotheaPlenticlew
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:41:25
Ahem. Now that I have recovered ...
What is the best way to deny someone like this the triumph they no doubt crave? I suppose (sigh) it may be best to just ignore it and rise above it, but I for one will find it hard to do so. And I don't have any other way of getting around town apart from buses.
dittany
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:44:15
Somebody needs a ladder and an aerosol can to sort this out. Or a lot of someones, a lot of ladders and a lot of aerosol cans.
I just can't imagine what it must be like to be a woman working in companies that are doing stuff like this.
Awassailinglookingforanswers
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:46:05
if I were a working mother (and I'm not) I'd get on the bus with a frigging great T-shirt saing
"mothers on benefits are better parents"
DorotheaPlenticlew
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:48:33
FFS, have you lot seen some of the comments at brandrepublic? Follow link in OP
EdgarAleNPie
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:49:49
hang on - isn't the point of this to get a debate going rather than actually push that particular point?
so, in a way, as its evidently worked...good advertising?
we argue that on here all the time. with women on both sides...(and blokes)
so lets not get our knickers in a twist too much...
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brightonpebble
Mon 04-Jan-10 19:54:07
Advertising Standards Authority Online Complaints form:
http://www.asa.org.uk/Complaints-and-ASA-action/How-to-complain/Online-Form.aspx
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