Oatly takes out ad in The Guardian to mock 'desperately out of touch' parents about pronouns in email signatures

[theskyispink]

twitter.com/ripx4nutmeg/status/1355862358728597507/photo/1

Take a drink - another drinks company goes ultra-woke.

If your company wants to make oodles of money in the UK, which is all Oatley will ever care about, then it's not too much off the bottom line to employ someone in that country to do the communications. aha ahhha ahhhaaaaaaaa.

They don't always know/care/are bothered to look it up.

I had this discussion only last month with an agency in the US who was questioning my spelling (nicely though)! And this company is a global one but based in the UK!

I used to have regular arguments (and I mean proper ding-dongs as she was rather fiery) with my (American) Director years ago who used to never take my work on matters of spelling or grammar (UK company, UK market) , when I was working on copy...

@PotholeParadies

Based in Sweden, but now an international company.

Is that "international" as in "we adapt to each country we are in", or "international" as in "we're American so this is how you will do things" ?

#justaskin'

I couldn't possibly comment.

They do have a separate option in the dropdown menu for the UK and for the US, at each looks different on the surface level. Seems we're the only ones lumbered with the Help Dad campaign.

Whatever happened to companies recent trend for 'don't mention mum/dad in case the prospect doesn't have one'?

I seem to get quite a few emails around mothers/fathers day asking if I want to be taken off mailing lists for these specific events/campaigns/days, should it cause me a trauma.

I had this discussion only last month with an agency in the US who was questioning my spelling (nicely though)! And this company is a global one but based in the UK!

You'd never call anyone from Britain parochial once you have met an average American. It's still not uncommon to be asked what state the UK is in.

Oatly is too expensive for me anyway.

@joystir59

Oatly is too expensive for me anyway.

I used to get the barista stuff as a treat and the regular stuff if own brand was out.

They'll no longer get my custom. I'll drink my tea black.

I used to regularly get into bunfights when people tried to pull me up on using English spelling like learnt instead of learned.

I think that was, in part, why I stayed around on mumsnet once I got here. No-one ever tries to be clever by telling me it's "flavor" not "flavour".

@SerendipityJane

I had this discussion only last month with an agency in the US who was questioning my spelling (nicely though)! And this company is a global one but based in the UK!

You'd never call anyone from Britain parochial once you have met an average American. It's still not uncommon to be asked what state the UK is in.

Disarray?

@PotholeParadies

I used to regularly get into bunfights when people tried to pull me up on using English spelling like learnt instead of learned.

I think that was, in part, why I stayed around on mumsnet once I got here. No-one ever tries to be clever by telling me it's "flavor" not "flavour".

I can't believe you've missed the plethora of posts where people feel compelled to get snark over SPAG.

Personally, as long as it's not ambiguous I try to be relaxed over such things and attribute errors to spellcheckers rather than ignorance.

However I'm happy to make exceptions when corporate bollocks is involved.

Just seen the advert and even though I have a dairy allergy it makes me want to run out to buy a pint of semi skimmed.
It really is a dreadful advert.

When the little bully gets old enough to buy his own fridge then he can make the choice of what goes into it. In the meantime Oatly should stop promoting elder abuse and make buying a vegan milk an uplifting experience and not one which shows people being bullied into it.

"flavor" not "flavour"
Agghh my head.
That's shocking anyone would favour flavor over flavour.
I think it's bad enough when I have this fight with spell check.

And if that is too much for them to do then maybe they shouldn’t be in marketing

Ah, but it's not my posts getting pulled up now. I am now in the position of cultural dominance and I can say, "airplane? Surely you mean aeroplane, you colonial pleb".

@TheBuffster

*"flavor" not "flavour"* Agghh my head. That's shocking anyone would favour flavor over flavour. I think it's bad enough when I have this fight with spell check.

You shouldn't have to fight your spellchecker - just make sure it's set to "British English" (not "English" ...)

I only get annoyed if someone uses 2 or more spelling in the same piece for the same word/meaning! But then its (part of) my job, so I'm allowed to get pissy I suppose.

My Director did once put her hands around my throat in one particularly heated discussion (about pantone colours, not spelling or punctuation).

In addition to that I think anyone who responds to a four paragraph complaint letter with, 'I'm sorry you took offense' has shown they're not really fit to be in HR.

@ThatIsNotMyUsername

I only get annoyed if someone uses 2 or more spelling in the same piece for the same word/meaning! But then its (part of) my job, so I'm allowed to get pissy I suppose.

My Director did once put her hands around my throat in one particularly heated discussion (about pantone colours, not spelling or punctuation).

As I say, if it doesn't cause ambiguity ...

There's also a matter of context. Quickly fired off internal emails (or MN posts) are one thing. However a corporate communication that goes to people who you want to buy your product are a completely different thing.

Yeah, I'm technologically challenged. I can work out word and publisher, not so much my phone or Facebook or email where it always seems to revert back.

Of course, Oatly will consider this is another proof that I am too much of a dinosaur for their brand.

For a second, I misread that as panettone colours. I don't think realising it was about pantone colours made it seem more reasonable.

#IStandWithThatIsNotMyUsername unless lime green was involved.

@TheBuffster

In addition to that I think anyone who responds to a four paragraph complaint letter with, 'I'm sorry you took offense' has shown they're not really fit to be in HR.

no, a waste to politics surely.

Another lost customer here. Thanks for tip-off. I wonder if they have some

There are so many things wrong with that awful advert.

It’s clearly just another arm of their campaign though, and they’re completely going for it. Align yourself with the woke teens, mock and scold your elders (the ones who actually provide for you and put a roof over your head, but who’s bothered about minor details eh).

Someone on this or another similar thread pointed out disturbing echoes of the ‘struggle sessions’ of Maoist China in which the wrongthink of elders was punished by the zealous younger generation and tbh, while I do sincerely hope we’re nowhere near that position, I’m definitely getting that faint sort of vibe. It’s so chillingly unpleasant. There’s no humour or warmth about it at all.

Serendipity

I look forward to their candidacy for the Green party or the Libdems.

Very silly marketing to insult the very people who buy all of these vegan teenagers their milk!

I used to follow the Guardian as I can't be doing with the right wing press, but recently got sick of their TRA agenda, and some of their covid coverage put me off as well.