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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that sending softcore porn in a marketing email to woo new professional clients is not the best idea?

122 replies

KnitFastDieWarm · 02/10/2014 15:18

I received this picture of a woman's bikini-clad pubic region in my work email inbox today - I'm a financial services professional. Or a disembodied fanjo, as I like to refer to myself when I find myself getting a little too big for my professional boots Hmm

The really sad thing is, it probably works on some people. I emailed them to complan but I can hear the eye-rolling and accusations of 'prude' from here...

As it happens, being bisexual I enjoy a fanjo as much as the next person Grin but only when it's a) attached to a woman with thoughts and feelings rather than being used to sell something and b)not popping up in my work email inbox before I've finished my first coffee of the day!

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 02/10/2014 15:19

It's sexist but it's not porn - softcore or otherwise.

Nancy66 · 02/10/2014 15:20

it doesn't even make sense!

traviata · 02/10/2014 15:21

good god.

it's like the 1970s all over again.

Original poster
KnitFastDieWarm · 02/10/2014 15:22

Good point worra - it's not technically porn. Still it's hardly what I would expect to receive in an email and I imagine my boss wouldn't be impressed to look over my shoulder and see it on screen!

An no it doesn't make any bloody sense! (which annoys me almost as much Grin

OP posts:
Mintyy · 02/10/2014 15:22

God, you really would think that kind of marketing had disappeared with the dinosaurs! It's so utterly depressing.

tethersend · 02/10/2014 15:23

YANBU.

It has nothing to do with the product at all, does it?

Besides being deeply sexist, it's also shit.

Gary Ellis, Joanne Parr, Darren Martin and Pete Davis, see me after class.

Original poster
KnitFastDieWarm · 02/10/2014 15:23

traviata - it's not just me hearing the Benny Hill theme tune running though my head then?

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 02/10/2014 15:23

On an entirely different note, I love your nick name!

trevortrevorslattery · 02/10/2014 15:23

UGH

tethersend · 02/10/2014 15:23

Yy, me too- best NN in ages Grin

phantomnamechanger · 02/10/2014 15:24

OMG!!!

ithoughtofitfirst · 02/10/2014 15:24

They could have asked to use my holiday pictures Grin

Dad joke?

cherrybombxo · 02/10/2014 15:24

...What?! What on earth does that woman's crotch have to do with anything?! Bizarre.

Original poster
KnitFastDieWarm · 02/10/2014 15:25

why thank you one and all, nickname fanbase [preens]

It is ALSO a shite advert - if you're going to be sexist, at least do it to good effect!

OP posts:
Phalenopsis · 02/10/2014 15:25

YANBU because it's a) sexist shite and b) it's not even good advertising. If I were the client receiving that I'd think, WTF did I just see?! Who came up with that rubbish?

WorraLiberty · 02/10/2014 15:27

It's not a bridge anyway

If I had to describe it, I'd call hammock.

Actually it's a fucking bikini no matter what way you look at it.

MissBlennerhasset · 02/10/2014 15:29

That's so gratuitous! They're clearly pitching to the lowest common denominator. Who the hell came up with that?!

Original poster
KnitFastDieWarm · 02/10/2014 15:30

If I were the client receiving that I'd think, WTF did I just see?! Who came up with that rubbish?

Pakenopsis that was pretty much my exact reaction!

Fortunately I do have some day in what brands we choose to work with - needless to say that one is off to the 'Hell, No' pile....

OP posts:
Original poster
KnitFastDieWarm · 02/10/2014 15:31

I cannot believe that MORE THAN ONE PERSON in the marketing team saw this ad and thought, yeah, that's how we want our brand to be represented. To an audience of finance professionals.

I've seen strip clubs with classier advertising!

OP posts:
Original poster
KnitFastDieWarm · 02/10/2014 15:33

UPDATE - I have now sent them an email. Awaiting inevitable 'We're sorry if you were offended (you prudish hairy-legged feminist witch) response Hmm

OP posts:
worriedsick100 · 02/10/2014 15:33

I would have to think this was a joke - did someone get paid to come up with this stuff? Just so sexist.

MissBlennerhasset · 02/10/2014 15:36

I think you'll get a reply along the lines of "I'm sorry you're offended but most of our clients think it's amusing and witty so perhaps you should lighten up a little, darling"

Original poster
KnitFastDieWarm · 02/10/2014 15:41

Miss, ain't that the truth...

The thing is, if it was an advert from a beer company or something I wouldn't have complained (I'd have rolled my eyes, though)

It's the fact that the majority of their target audience isn't 21 year old frat boys, and yet they still went for this angle, that amazed me so much!

Neither of my (male) bosses would find it remotely amusing, not only because their not sexist, but also because financial service companies are highly regulated and this ad hardly screams 'work with us, we're really professional and trustworthy!', does it? Hmm

OP posts:
Phalenopsis · 02/10/2014 15:44

I've been on their website and clicked on the 'meet the team' icon. Which one do we think came up with this?

Original poster
KnitFastDieWarm · 02/10/2014 15:50

My money's on Gary... his name's the first in the roll call at the bottom of the ad which I think indicates a certain signatory pride in his work Grin

The thing is, when I clicked through to that page earlier I thought they all looked quite nice, not as laddish as I was expecting. Which just goes to show how utterly endemic casual sexism is in our society, I guess.

Being charitable, I suppose an outside agency could have come up with it - but one of them must have approved the bloody thing!

OP posts: