Protein World "beach body" adverts

[RunkyJam]

Anyone else raging about these?

I've complained to the ASA and just signed a petition taking off over at change.org

www.change.org/p/proteinworld-arjun-seth-remove-are-you-beach-body-ready-advertisements

Absolutely BONKERS this was approved IMO.

Really, 2p? I've just read the whole thread and the absolute worst comment I've found was speculation on whether she might have breast implants. Is that a ridiculously negative thing to say about someone? Did you take offence at that? Have I missed something? Or...is it just the "feminists telling other women what to do with their bodies" reflex kicking in again?

Iv'e got DD's and I have noticed the past year instead of the girls just trying to be skinny they now want a fit athletic figure. My dd has took up running even though she is very slim and has asked about going to exercise/ weight classes with her friend's as well as healthy eating as she want's a toned stomach, i guess with definition. I don't really have a problem with her wanting to look athletic and do exercise if she does it sensibly. I am 9 stone, was about 8 before the kids but i don't struggle to stay at 9 stone, don't work out or diet just walk everywhere and have a physically demanding job, must burn of what i eat. At school i was on the cross country, hockey and netball team so got plenty of exercise. Although i am slim i am not toned but if i could be bothered i would love to go to the gym and would possibly look into supplements. It's the dodgy internet pills you need to watch, i think these look safe as part of a healthy diet and exercise regime

The advert isn't inventing the concept that women should be thin on the beach. Women/people think that already.
The advert is using that - widely held - idea.

Is it likely to make women feel bad about themselves? Yes.
But that's what they want! If you feel great about your body, why buy a diet shake? They don't want to empower women. They want women to be worried about being too fat. That's how they make their money.

That's how loads of advertising works.

anyway people are inferring the message that if you don't look like the model you aren't beach ready and therefore can't go to the beach. The advert doesn't say that does it?
It's basically acknowledging that lots of people like to look their best or feel confident in their body during summer when more of their body is on display. They have a product that purports to aid that And are advertising it with an inspirational photo.
Just like exercise dvds, gym membership posters, health and fitness magazines, special k etc etc

mamapants i agree, they have really went for this girl, it's shameful

Of course the image is photoshopped! If you think it's not you're living in a dream world. ALL images used in advertising are. None of those points are points about her body, just about whether such an image is achievable by any but a tiny fraction of women (or none, given the digital enhancement), no matter how much you spend on protein shakes.

^"The advert isn't inventing the concept that women should be thin on the beach. Women/people think that already.
The advert is using that - widely held - idea.

Is it likely to make women feel bad about themselves? Yes.
But that's what they want! If you feel great about your body, why buy a diet shake? They don't want to empower women. They want women to be worried about being too fat. That's how they make their money. "^

And you don't think that whole idea is bullshit and we should be questioning it? Given that there is a massive industry making women feel shit about themselves, and that this is a pretty blatant example?

"... lots of people like to look their best or feel confident in their body during summer when more of their body is on display. They have a product that purports to aid that And are advertising it with an inspirational photo..."

The advert is for slimming powder. It is not for 'confident' or 'looking your best' powder. But you have taken 'confident' and 'looking your best' to be the same as 'thin'. Like we all do. And that's the problem. No?

shaska the ad doesn't say 'women on the beach should be thin' to me.
It says 'women on the beach want to look good', same as the corresponding men's ad does.
I think it's largely true, but the people who don't care about how they look seem to be offended.

No I'm not saying looking your best necessarily equates to being thin. I prefer to be thin though as do many people. I wouldn't use their product but they can advertise it.

Are people offended by the men's ad? Or is it just the wording that's the problem?

Heh. Yes I suppose I do think it should be questioned, individually, but I don't think the ASA will ever care about whether women in the UK feel happy in their own skins on the whole - if that's the problem here, so I don't think complaining about this one advert is worthwhile at all.

for my 'protein needs' I use food.

that ad is photoshopped to hell - no-one's legs are attached that way!

she'd be quite pretty if she smiled. Shame the slapped arse expression is essential for models.

"the ad doesn't say 'women on the beach should be thin' to me. It says 'women on the beach want to look good'"

And again: you are seeing 'look good'. They are selling slimming powder. It's a very clear link. Looking good = thin. It's not about health. It's about thin-ness.

Obviously, the ASA is not responsible for the self esteem of women! However, stuff doesn't happen in a vacuum. We all know that women are constantly told we look shit, and that we should buy stuff to feel better about it. We all know that anorexia, orthorexia, other EDs are a problem. We all know that teenage girls in particular are susceptible to the idea that 'thin' is better than 'healthy'. This ad plays HARD at those things. I don't think there's anything wrong with some women on the internet getting pissed off about it. If you're not pissed off about it, that's cool. But surely you can see why some people would be? What else should we do? Sit back and go 'oh well, way of the world, innit, no hope for change, do carry on.'

I interviewed the bloggers who are protesting these adverts clairecampbelladams.com/2015/04/24/bloggers-protest-advert-protien-world-allbodysready-wearethey-interview/ (hope it's ok to post if not please remove)

But every 'beauty' product is selling their own ideal. Hair dye adverts sell the idea that you look better not going grey, toothpaste ads sell big white teeth, razors that you should have hairless legs and on and on.
It's up to us all what we buy into.

I think on her twitter in RL in videos she actually looks slimmer than the ad

I am a mumsnet blogger - I'm just having issues with the widget at the moment - ??

I can't really see why some people are so offended about this particular ad shaska, no.
Given the huge health/fitness/beauty/diet industry bombarding us (women and men) with unrealistic images and aspirations, this particular ad is tame.
Not particularly unacheivable physique for someone of that age.
My facebook will be full of friends going on about losing a few lbs for their holiday soon, this poster isn't saying anything worse.
People inferring things like 'the ad says you can only go on a beach if you look like this' are ridiculous!
Look at the twitter link I posted, or go into a newsagent and look at the health magazines.
I'm confused about why people are raging about this quite tame ad over all the others.

I think there are more effective ways to change things.

Don't buy slimming aids.
Don't buy women's magazines.
Don't read about celebrities on the Daily Mail website.
Don't gossip about other women's weight.
Take your daughters to do some exercise, to be healthy.
Go to the beach in your bikini and enjoy the day in the sun.
Let people take photographs of you, as you are.
Don't tell your daughters all about feeling fat or calories or diets.
Eat well, take care of yourself, learn to love yourself.

That sort of stuff.

"Not particularly unacheivable physique for someone of that age." Bullshit. Not unless you're extremely tall and very slight.

I agree this ad is just one of many such images and it's bad luck for them (or good luck, depending on how you look at it) that they've attracted a degree of vitriol. But I actually have less of a problem with eg a magazine saying, "Want to lose a few lbs before your summer holiday? Here are some ways to eat less and move more," than this, which says, "You aren't 'ready' for the beach unless you buy our meal replacement powder."

Bullshit. Not unless you're extremely tall and very slight.

shrug I work on a university campus. I can go outside now and see dozens of young students with similar physiques who have probably done nothing in the way of dieting or training.

"I can't really see why some people are so offended about this particular ad shaska, no."

That's totally fair enough. For me it crossed a line but I do understand that for others it wouldn't, and that's absolutely fine.

FWIW I agree that there are tons and tons of equally shit messages. I don't ever look at women's magazines for that reason, because they make me too angry - it's probably partly why I'm pissed about this one, because it's on the tube and I couldn't avoid it the way I do a lot of other stuff. Delicate wee flower, me!

The model in question actually looks a lot like that, and that body is achievable. Obviously some parts have been photoshopped but she has a great body.

And no if this was an obese woman on here everyone would be like 'oh she's so brave' 'lovely to see a REAL woman'.

So it seems the model does feel people are body shaming her, for body shaming. She has a point.

I genuinely believe that if the model was larger people would talking about how wonderful and brave she was.

I agree. If it was say a size 14-16 woman I just can't imagine the outrage being the same.

Even on my Facebook someone posted a picture, replacing the model with a plus-sized model. It has thousands of likes and positive comments.