OAA Apologise for "Career Women Make Bad Mothers" Campaign

[OAA]

The OAA are running a campaign to demonstrate the power of outdoor advertising to drive people online. This is being done in conjunction with a new website called ?Britainthinks.com? which encourages debate amongst the people of Britain.

We regret any misunderstanding that led to feelings of offence on the part of members of the Mumsnet community.

The intention of the website is to generate debate by posing questions that are deemed to be socially relevant by members of society.

We did not intend to cause any offence and we would stress that the questions posed were not the opinions of the OAA or any of its members.

Three posters were designed to initiate the debate using sport, life and politics and these are supported by dozens of other questions on the website itself.

Regrettably the question relating to ?career women? has caused offence and the OAA unreservedly apologises to anyone who has been offended. This was not our intention and, to ensure that this misunderstanding does not persist, instructions have been given to remove this poster.

Subject to the vagaries of the weather, all copy will be removed as soon as possible. The sites currently carrying this poster will be either blanked-out or carry one of the other designs. The poster will also be removed from the ?Britainthinks.com? website. All Digital posters have already been removed.

I think OBM is fabulous exactly right.

But I think we should still walk away and let them decide what they're going to write, and see exactly what is produced. They can't then claim it was with our cooperation. So if it's naff/dreadful then they are hoist with their own petard, to be Shakespearean about the whole thing.

And, surely we can work with Campaign to put together a serious article about the whole converstation/social networking/open source phenomenon, so that the MN views are properly disseminated?

Sedes: Now that I would like to see

oh well, ditt and mp, if we leave it up to beta then they can lift those lines. i do think both are vg. it's just so cold, though.

Absolutely BIWI. I have a contact at Campaign who I'm sure would be more than happy to write a good piece.

Beta, have fun boiling your heads .

Beta will run with "Feminists make good fathers"

So they main can run their pictures of feeble pale men with hoovers

you can't unbutton a tee-shirt

Am now seduced to the let them clear up their own mess stance.

lol mp you ol' slagbag.

somebody stop MP being distracted

but if a tree falls in a forest

I don't think as many people will hear us say 'fuck off (beta)', even if we say it really actively . Perhaps even no-one will.

But some people will definitely see the new posters.

In a sense, (beta) is neither here nor there. They'll get their redemption story whether we collude or not, because they HAVE to.

Toss a coin?

"Sexism shames us all."

"Imagine being homeless in this weather."

Maybe even a domestic violence one.

So, one of those four-dimensional coins, then.

SydneyScarborough - I agree. They care more about their own arses than they do about anything else.

If they run with feminists make good fathers I'll have no alternative but to take a view on it. As that was one of mine.

I think Beta might be quite reluctant to go with
SEXISM IS BAD FOR BUSINESS
(Garry is quite touchy about any posts suggesting the campaign has been bad for his)

In which case that is the one we should offer.

arf. gary does seem like quite a touchy little feller.

If we really want to change sexism in advertising, how is it ok to collude with the perpetrators or even assist them vaguely with sorting out the mess?

So they can say to trade media and potential new clients, 'well yes we started the campaign with a contentious, attention grabbing, seemingly sexist slogan but we did something really groundbreaking in working with the UK's most influential parenting forum to come up with something that really challenged viewpoints and got to the heart of the debate. In fact, it was our most successful campaign ever blah blah blah' ...

It's just not right. Boil their heads I say.

But at least it is true, unlike sweeping generalisations about working mothers.

Actually it's not really true. Stripclubs seem to do ok.

I think we should reiterate that we would like to hand it to Shelter. And if they then do something else they can hardly claim the moral high ground.

If we provide them with anti sexist copy they will claim their campaign has been turned around.

If we say nothing they will provide their own anti sexist copy and claim their campaign has been turned around.

If we reiterate that we wish to hand the space over to Shelter. ?

Reiterate Shelter in an email, then remove this thread from the board. To be revived later if necessary.

Assisting them with an anti-sexist slogan also sends the message to the ad industry that it's ok to be sexist as long as you're prepared to be anti-sexist a week later... does nothing to challenge perceptions at all, just makes a bit of a joke of the whole issue.

Good plan Swedes. I'm in full support of that.

Yes! Yes! It MUST be something which declares their failure !!!

So "Sexism is bad for business" is vair good

It will:

1. be active and therefore morally good.
2. bring sexism into the public space
3. be v hard for (beta) to spin.

"Sexism is bad for business". It's straight, and arsey, and not wet, and completely pertinent to the initial offense.