In three new ads featuring model Gisele Bündchen, Brazilian lingerie company Hope urges women to take off their clothes before breaking “bad” news to their male partners. The ads rely on the old saw that sex sells, but we’re willing to let that slide–after all, it’s lingerie. But these ads don’t sell lingerie with the […]
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No Comment: A “Younger, Hotter” Virgin
Just in case we hadn’t fully internalized the message that women are most valued for their youth and beauty, Virgin America has introduced a new “younger, hotter” advertising campaign with slogans like “Fool around with a younger, hotter airline” (pictured left) and “Dump your old airline for a younger, hotter one.” 61-year-old Virgin CEO Richard […]
No Comment: The Sexist T-Shirt J.C. Penney DIDN’T Remove
This week, feminists celebrated a victory when J.C. Penney halted the sale of a girls’ T-shirt that reads “Too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.” The shirt, suggesting girls should be too consumed with their looks to care about being smart, was pulled from the company website after […]
Still Using the Old Model for Sexist Car Advertisements
Take a glance at the recent BMW ad (left) and you’ll know that the road to car sales is still paved, just as it has been since its construction, with sexist, heteronormative, racist and outright offensive advertisements. When AOL.com recently ran this vintage Goodyear tire ad, which it deemed one of the most sexist ads […]
Brilliant Boy, Beautiful Girl: Sexist Cards for Infants
Last Monday, Feminist Law Professors blogged about an Instagram photo posted by The New York Times‘ small business writer Adriana Gardella. The photo (left) shows how far sexist messages have reached—all the way back to infancy. On top of the clearly stereotyped pink cards for girls and blue cards for boys, is the “insidious” (as […]
No Comment: Zazzle’s Pro-Anorexia Kids’ Tees
Last week, the online retailer Zazzle–which “empowers” customers to create custom T-shirts, cards and other paraphernalia–ended sales of a kids’ T-shirt and onesie that featured a pro-eating-disorder message in a scribbled font. The decision came only after the U.K. Advertising Standards Authority banned ads of the shirts for encouraging “an unsafe practice that may result […]
No Comment: “Always”‘ Transphobic Drag Queen Ad
[Update: It seems the viral video was either a spoof or a potential ad that Always decided not to run. We apologize to Always, but still find the ideas behind the video–whoever made it–pretty offensive. Thanks to Ms. blog commenters for keeping us accurate!] A viral video claiming to be an Always ad for menstrual […]
Victory! Goodwill Removes Billboard
Denver’s branch of Goodwill Industries, the thrift-store chain that has always positioned itself as a helping hand to diverse communities across the U.S., recently launched a new series of advertisements with the slogan “The Goodwill Effect.” Riding my bike last week in the city, I came across the following billboard for the campaign: “She discovered […]
Another Success! Summer’s Eve Takes Down Racist Ads
Feminists are on a roll this month. First, Toms Shoes disassociated from Focus on the Family in response to a Ms. and Change.org petition. Next, the California Milk Board agreed to end its sexist “Everything I Do is Wrong” campaign after feminist outcry. Now douche-vendors Summer’s Eve have followed suit, pulling an offensive series of […]
No Comment: Molson Coors Knows What Women Want–Pink Beer
It seems ad execs at Molson Coors were looking for a new way to alienate include women. With only 17 percent of Molson Coors’ sales coming from women, company heads knew they had to do something. But instead of, say, rethinking their exclusively male-targeted ad campaigns for Coors Light (for example), they’ve found a simpler […]