Welcome to Stepford
Posted on 23. Sep, 2008 by Brian Reid in General
Sometimes, I’m sad that marketer basically ignore fathers as people who play a key role in family life (and purchasing decisions). And, sometimes, I’m thrilled that men are spared unspeakably silly marketing designed to make household chores seem hip or fun or special. (If Free to Be You and Me has failed in any way, it’s that we must still suffer through ads for “detergent or soap or cleanser or cleaner or powder or paste or wax or bleach.”)
This week — via an ad on parenthacks –I learned about Samsung’s “Moms Like Me” social network. It’s a plain-vanilla social network (there are plenty for dads, if you’re interested), but the glue that supposedly holds this group together is … wait for it … “life, laundry and the pursuit of cleanliness.” This is a social network that defines themselves around what laundry says a person. It is deeply, deeply frightening.
There is also the disturbing fact that this is a gendered effort, designed to be causally moms-only. This sexism would be more offensive if they were excluding guys from something potentially worthwhile, but I’m in no particularly rush to bust down the doors. (As an aside, the most active forum on the site is an extended discussion — titled “Samsung really needs to get with the times with its sexist attitude” — that was kicked off by a guy.)
Amazingly, the bizarre Samsung site means that LG takes second place is in the weird-and-sexist washer/drier marketing campaign contest. That effort comes with the tag line “A woman has needs. And right now, I need this wild cherry steam thing.” Seriously.
cory huff
23. Sep, 2008
I love this stuff. Enough of it and eventually the marketers will get smart. Keep it coming!
Ashley
23. Sep, 2008
Just had these thoughts—What woman would watch that commercial and be swayed?
Who is making the decision to run these ads?
How dumb!
I work from home, part-time. For the bazillion dollars these people are paying their morons, I’ll gladly step up and deliver something far more enticing.
Chad too
23. Sep, 2008
Funny, I was just thinking about how much I need a wild cherry steam thing too….
Greg Barbera
24. Sep, 2008
i just farted
Robbo
24. Sep, 2008
Greg, you’re killing me
Choosydad
25. Sep, 2008
Somebody needs to tell them that just because social networking is “the latest craze” in marketing circles doesn’t mean that you can build a new one around every product out there…
What’s next?
Rich C.
26. Sep, 2008
I love reading those forums and watching how upset women get when SAHDs make a stink about it. Of course, nobody ever complains about Elmer Fudd being a racist stereotype
bryan
27. Sep, 2008
I wrote Graco “ask mom’s who care” a year ago…never got a response…
http://www.sympathypain.com/to-whom-it-may-concern/
Matt
29. Sep, 2008
I agree with Chad too, I could use a hot steamy cherry thing.
Matt
29. Sep, 2008
You have to admit though, men tend to purchase through value and women through brand. I don’t really have a problem with it, as I don’t tend to be very impressed with most ads anyway. Have you seen the for corn syrup. Wow its made from corn. really I would not have known that, dup!