The latest advertising abomination (adbomination?) to make the rounds is a campaign for Israel’s Gold Star beer. These ridiculous ads, structured as cartoony flowcharts, trade on the old trope that men are low-maintenance sex hounds who just want to drink beer and get laid, while as women are high-maintenance fashion lunatics who spend five hours obsessing over what shoes they wear before going out for girly cocktails in hopes of meeting a knight in shining armor who will marry them so they can pop out baby after baby and live happily ever after. The tag line for this lovely campaign? “Thank God you’re a man.”
Click here to see a larger image, along with the rest of the campaign (it only gets worse).
My partner had a theory that this campaign is playing on a Jewish prayer recited every morning by devout men, part of which contains the text “Thank you God for not having made me a woman.” I don’t know whether or not this is true, but it could be argued that many Jewish men in Israel would be familiar with that prayer. Perhaps someone here, who has more experience with matters of Judaism than me, can weigh in on the matter.
Jewish satire or not, this campaign is just yet another entry in a long line of sexist alcohol ads that sell booze to men by insulting and degrading women. From the Coors Light Mystery Mansion to that pervert, Captain Morgan, alcohol is consistently sold as if women weren’t major consumers making up half the world’s population. Also, those flowcharts are stupid. My friend Dana, who sent me this campaign, suggested a more appropriate flowchart for women:
“Me at the bar —> My Delicious Beer —> Wishing you would leave me the fuck alone”
Eden Fenrick also thought the flowcharts were inane and kind of nonsensical, so she designed her own bizarre flowcharts where two men lead to unicorns or goldfish or even ice cream. For me, this was a great improvement, as I love ice cream, unicorns, goldfish and gay men. Now, where’s my beer?
More of Eden’s flowcharts can be seen here and here
What will it take to get the booze industry off their addiction to sexist advertising? Women actually making up a huge market for alcohol doesn’t seem to have worked. Sadly, me ranting about it constantly hasn’t worked, either.
There are brands that have moved away from the “appeal to men by hating on women” method, at least temporarily. For instance, this summer, the Nova Scotia brewer, Keith’s, was running a contest similar to the Coors Light Mystery Mansion, except instead of only inviting men to a stripper party, they invited both men and women to a rocking concert celebrating the birthday of their founder, Alexander Keith. Guinness, the company that was briefly thought to have been behind one of the most offensive ads in history (the ad turned out to be a hoax, filmed by somebody not affiliated with Guinness), has actually spent their formidable marketing budget creating entertaining and responsible campaigns that don’t even feature humans or that just focus on how cool Guinness looks when it’s poured, so clearly it’s not impossible to make a really cool ad that doesn’t offend half the world’s consumers.
So, how can we get the alcohol industry to stop degrading women in order to sell booze? Things I’ve tried so far that haven’t worked: Writing nasty letters to marketing departments, passionate blogging, adbusting, ranting to anyone who will listen. Things I’m not willing to try: Boycotting booze. Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?
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15 comments
I knew Guinness wouldn't make an ad like that. They are too busy making visually astounding masterpieces to truck with that nonsense. I don't know what to do either. I love beer! Why don't the beermakers love me?
Posted by stark
January 17, 2009, 1:57 PM
Well, one thing that springs to mind is a boycott, which I would totally support (from the sidelines) ;)
I think if I put this in a context for say someone who isn't even legally able to drink yet maybe that would be interesting.
I remember my introduction to social beer culture came with my first older boyfriend. He would carry 2-4's of beer instead of holding my hand when we walked to parties and that really hurt my feelings. I think I ended up trying my first beer just to impress the goof. I distinctly remember that beer had this masculine aura. I found it intimidating and strange.
That said if they started marketing "beer for girls" I would probably hate the ad campaign just as much as I hate this one. It seems like a no-win situation.
Also I do remember that Jewish prayer and speaking of no-win situations, our Rabbi tried to convince us that the prayer was a back-handed compliment. Like it was so difficult to be a woman that Jewish men were thanking God they had the easier set of equipment.
I remember all the girls in our pre-confirmation class looking at the rabbi with "ch'a, right" written all over their faces.
I think non-sexist beer marketing is about as realistic an expectation as that particular rabbinic interpretation of biblical misogyny.
Posted by Mir
January 17, 2009, 4:06 PM
There are some very talented women doing great things with beer. Here are just two.
http://www.cureforwhatalesyou.com/200...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
Posted by Andrew
January 18, 2009, 2:07 AM
I'll confess that I'm after wanting to say something really sexist about this, that men need ads to work out why they like a product, and women can just have a little think about the product... but actually I think that's at the core of some of this advertising. The girl and boy drinks stuff is interesting to me, here in Australia, the land of many beer drinking men and women, the same thing goes, it's beer for men, girl drinks for girls and those mixer drinks (rum and coke) for toddlers. Even though most women I know drink beer, and most men I know also drink wine. Wine, though, is about the only one that has quite a different prejudice at play. Even though it's your average working class lout here who drinks wine, it's framed as a middle class/white collar worker drink... and it's just not.
The smart marketing here, come to think of it, has always been the stuff that challenges this. And it's always been the most successful.
Posted by sandy O'Sullivan
January 18, 2009, 5:56 AM
The thing about boycotts is that they limit the criticism of the ad campaign to the market - and in a huge global market companies like this aren't likely to notice, or care. For instance, I've been boycotting Gold Star beer my entire drinking-age life, not because I think their ads stink, but because I prefer Maudite and it's never even occurred to me to buy this product. So it's not the kind of statement that's likely to make a difference, on its own anyway.
That said, it can feel very daunting to figure out how to make your voice heard any other way... I think we often identify as consumers more than anything, or at least are led to feel it's the only way we can make a statement.
Letter-writing campaign? Street theatre?
Posted by Anna
January 18, 2009, 3:47 PM
I am totally down with doing street theatre about sexist beer campaigns. It's probably the only street theatre I would be into doing, and only if we get to go for a drink after ;)
Posted by Mir
January 18, 2009, 6:37 PM
Hi Afterdark,
This is a blog for teenage girls, so I am not going to take your demand that I grow up too seriously.
Re: the Jewish prayer, I am Jewish and if you'd read the totality of comments above you'll note that I specifically mention hearing / and saying the prayer in question.
In case you doubt my memory here is a short (by rabbincal standards) piece that talks about the fact that men do recite: "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who did not make me a woman" Women say instead: "according to God's will" at the end.
http://www.beth-elsa.org/be_s0112.htm
You're right, both genders should be offended by the ad. But if that's the case, why are you so upset about us poking fun?
Also I haven't heard "sexist pig masters" on the blog until just now - but it's catchy.
Posted by Mir
January 19, 2009, 9:51 AM
Afterdark, I must admit that I find myself agreeing with one small part of your argument. You are right, these ads, and in fact, most beer ads, are insulting to men as well. And yes, I am sure there are many men who would prefer to be seen as something other than booze-swilling sex-obsessed pigs.
However, we must keep in mind that the beer ads in question are specifically aimed at men. Men are included in the joke at the expense of women. Let's remember that the tag line for this ad campaign was "Thank God You're A Man," not "Thank God You're A Woman." Although... Ah! I am sorry I didn't think of this earlier:
Oh, this is very satisfying. Afterdark, I must thank you for the inspiration!
But, to return to my point, thank you for asserting my need for more in depth research. The reason I cited my partner's theory was because I thought it would be rude to steal her idea. Furthermore, thank you for assuming that neither she nor I is Jewish.
For purposes of disclosure, I will confirm that I am Jewish, and that the completely ridiculous "prayer" (another point on which we agree) is real and is part of the Jewish morning prayers. I meant no offense to Jewish men as a group, and the reason I kept my statement short and left the matter open to discussion is because I have a very personal reaction when it comes to misogyny in Judaism that is both unrelated to my argument concerning this ad, and because I did not wish to unintentionally give offense to other Jews in this forum. However, the theory that the tag line was a satire of the prayer is a valid one, and I thought it should be included, considering that this is an Israeli beer.
As for consumer numbers, my whole argument against sexist alcohol advertising is that, despite being ignored and insulted, women do buy alcohol. They do drink Coors Light, even though it tastes like skunky water, and even though they weren't invited to the Coors Light Mystery Mansion (unless they were dressed up as stripper bunnies). They do buy Canadian Club, even though the ads would have us believe that only dads drink that whiskey. And I'm sure they do drink Gold Star beer, even if the ads would have us believe that women only drink flaming cocktails.
Posted by Michelle
January 19, 2009, 10:25 AM
Oh, boo! Shameless didn't display my images! Okay, here are the links to my new "Thank God You're a Woman" campaign: We have better clothes and a better imagination
Andrew, thank you for the links, it is nice to see some women getting recognition for their contributions, it would be great if this were acknowledged by ad campaigns on occasion.
Mir, Anna, I would be totally down for street theater, but only if I get to wear a big mascot costume. Perhaps I could be a giant feminist beer bottle?
Posted by Michelle
January 19, 2009, 10:29 AM
Michelle, those are FANTASTIC and so simple! In retrospect, I wish I had included "Thank God You're A Unicorn" and "Thank God You're A Goldfish" etc. on mine.
Posted by Eden
January 19, 2009, 2:57 PM
ha ha ha.
It's true. I match my shoes to my drinks. I want a little square with a pair of sneakers that leads to beer in the bottle though please.....
Posted by Mir
January 19, 2009, 5:20 PM
Oh, lighten up.
My wife finds those ads funny, and accurate about women -- especially the bathroom one. Whatever stereotyping exists in there, she doesn't take seriously. Neither do I, but that's probably because I don't drink or watch sports. I'm never offended by "simple man" stereotyping. Yes, in a lot of ways, we're simpler. So what?
Some of us can laugh at ourselves.
By the way, we both thought it was making fun of men.
Posted by mograph
January 24, 2009, 11:14 AM
I used to work for an ad agency and one of our biggest clients was Diageo. They're the parent company of brands like Smirnoff, Baileys, and Captain Morgan.
The last project I worked on before I left the corporate world was for Captain Morgan. The firm had about 15-20 people working there, and we used to brainstorm creative, as a firm. The brainstorm for this campaign was different though: invite-only: all straight, white men.
I was brought in soon after, and when I saw the concept sketches and the ideas, I was shocked: one sketch featured a man looking in his reflection in a bathroom mirror. Behind him, clothes were strewn on the floor and two women lay sleeping in bed. The caption? "Thank you, Captain Morgan."
It's strange working on the other side of things. As the "resident feminist" at the firm, and someone with a social-conscience, I took huge issue with the campaign concept. I openly referred to it as the "date-rape campaign", explained that it alienates women and promotes a culture in which consent is evaded through intoxication and manipulation. I even tried to appeal to their creative sense; that using sex to sell is so boring, and so played-out that it would never work, that it shows a lack of ingenuity. Nothing seemed to get through, and a bunch of dudes just ended up continuing work on the campaign. When they presented the ideas to the client, they loved it. Really.
I'm not complacent in this type of advertising, nor do I think anybody should be. I also think it's important for people to understand the process behind these ideas, and the people behind them. In this case: three owners of a communications firm, a project manager, a creative director and a team of designers: all straight men. Their client rep? Same. When faced with criticism? Well...
... This was the last in a series of oppressive incidents that brought me to leave the commercial world and start my own firm (www.thepublicstudio.ca). The "Oh, lighten up" attitude is pretty common (see above), and fine, a joke's a joke, and I've worked in this industry long enough to develop a thick skin and learn to choose my battles. But if we don't draw the line at a Gold Star campaign that perpetuates stereotypes, can we draw it at a Captain Morgan campaign that promotes date rape? The fact is that one thing all too easily falls into the other, and this path is so common that advertisers and clients don't bat an eye.
This leaves the power in the hand of consumers. Boycott, girlcott, whatever. Write a letter to the company, and another to the creative firm. Get your male “target audience” friends in on it, too. It was easy to brush me off as the token "takes things too seriously" girl — but it's another to get negative feedback from consumers. The relationships between ad firms and their clients can become so self-congratulatory that it ends up functioning like a well-oiled machine; neither side questions the other. It's time to throw a spoke in the wheel.
Posted by Sheila Sampath
January 24, 2009, 12:10 PM
Thank you, Sheila.
Posted by Stacey May
January 24, 2009, 12:55 PM
Wise post Sheila, and yes, that Captain Morgan concept sounds abominable, and it was necessary to point out the date rape scenario to those who may or may not have considered it.
But regarding the ad in question, part of our strength as human beings is to make distinctions. To "draw the line". My wife and I were able to make a distinction between stereotype and reality, and we were not offended by the ad, as I wrote. I can appreciate that there are those who are offended by stereotypes, and if their lives were negatively impacted by them, then they represent a group that should be respected and heard.
I hope that we can both (all?) agree that where an image perpetuates the oppression of a group (such as the Morgan concept) then it should be abandoned. But if the image does not perpetuate the oppression, it should be evaluated, but not dismissed out of hand. The issue is oppression, not stereotyping, in my opinion. Personally, I don't believe this image perpetuates the (yes, continued) oppression of women. I guess I just can't see how women would be oppressed by this ad, unlike the Morgan concept, which is obvious.
But yes, I do agree that most people can't be trusted to draw a line.
Posted by mograph
January 24, 2009, 9:43 PM
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