“Vanilla – Works For Ice Cream, But Not For Advertising”: Robert Strohfeldt
In this guest post, Strohfeldt Consulting founder and creative director, Robert Strohfeldt, thinks political correctness has gone TOO FAR and reckons it’s about time we embrace a bit of harmless fun and political incorrectness.
It’s never my fault
“Advertising Has the Power to Make Children Fat and This Needs to Stop” – a quote from a researcher at the University of Liverpool in the UK.
And here I was naively thinking that childhood obesity was due to poor diet and poor parenting. But obviously not. Leave your child watching afternoon TV, turn you back for 20 minutes and oops, they have put on five kilos.
Obesity in children is not a subject to make light of or joke about. But to find a solution, like any problem, the real cause must be identified and it sure as hell is not advertising.
There is nothing wrong with snack food, or junk food if you like, in moderation. It is the role of the parents or guardians to both educate and discipline their children. No matter the form of the advertising, its reason for existence (tempted to say “raison d’etre”, we need another buzz word or phrase and it’s time for it to make a comeback.), is to make this food as competitively appealing as possible. What do the PC expect, “The All New Cadbury Flake. Looks and Tastes Like Shit”?
But advertising is a convenient scapegoat because the bleeding hearts must have someone, besides “the victim”, to blame. In my 30 plus years in this business I have seen advertising blamed for just about every blight on society. And each time I think “If only advertising was so powerful and influential.”
Advertising doesn’t start trends, it follows them
Advertising doesn’t start trends. Our role is to be aware of emerging trends and latch onto those which can be commercially leveraged. Sorry to say, but advertising is lousy at changing behaviour. It can persuade people to swap or try a new brand and attitudinal shifts, but that is at a pretty micro level.
We can help propagate behavioral changes, but advertising doesn’t start them from scratch. In fact, most serious behavioral changes are predicated by legislation. Huh? Drink driving and RBT. Thirty years ago, people at a party would ask someone who was shitfaced, ‘Are you ok?’. ‘Just help me to my car and I’ll be right to drive’ and someone would.
When Random Breath Testing was introduced there were initial howls of protest and outrage, “It’s an infringement on my civil liberties” and other more colourful expressions.
But how things change. If Blind Freddy stumbles around a party today, mistaking a closet for the toilet and stepping on the cat, or in the case of a well know footballer, getting to know the family dog more intimately and then announces he is driving home there is a mad scramble to take his car keys away. It is sociably unacceptable.
The same for littering – try driving down a city street and start tossing rubbish out the window and you will be sure to get a reaction. As with smoking. But these were not only acceptable habits not that long ago, they were common place and the social norm.
Attitudes have shifted enormously in a relatively short period of time. But it was the legislation, followed by advertising, that really drove the change.
Advertising. A cornerstone of democracy and freedom of speech
Sound dramatic? The Institute of Public Affairs has just conducted their inaugural Free Speech on Campus Audit across Australia’s 42 universities. Universities have, since they began, been places of open debate, liberated thinking and the exploration of ideas.
Of these 42 universities, 33 (nearly 80 per cent) had policies which substantially limited freedom of speech or had acted censoriously. Bloody hell, my Alma Mater, the University of Queensland has made it a crime to be “sarcastic”.
We are now seeing PC spreading through the advertising industry. One of the very few industries that almost matched universities for the diversity of ideas and thinking. The industry has always been socially and intellectually progressive. But it has done so without becoming involved in politics – “let the consumer decide” has been the mantra.
We have bodies such as the Advertising Standards Bureau and CAD to rule on the appropriateness, or otherwise, of advertising. Do we want to see a well thought out code of conduct overridden by a rabid social media lynch mob?
Freedom of the media (and by extension, freedom of speech) was dependent upon advertising. However as the media landscape does evolve, advertising will play a pivotal role. Facebook, Google, Snapchat etc. all owe their multi-billion-dollar worth to the current and future perceived revenue from advertising, in one form or another.
Stick to advertising, not sociology
A recent KFC Twitter ad “something hot and spicy” was withdrawn within an hour. The howls of outrage came not only from the outside, but from within the industry. One lady posted “It has put woman’s rights back 50 years in this country”.
I am not saying it was a brilliant piece of work, but one would have thought it was promoting the rise of a new Nazi Party by the level of outrage. And not finding it offensive does not mean someone is not concerned about domestic violence, or any other pressing social issue. Censorship and genuine impingements on freedom of speech do nothing for such issues.
Vested interest minorities have always been well organised, which allows them to appear much larger and more influential than they really are. Issues which bring a shrug of the shoulders from the average punter are pursued with a fanatical zeal by small groups.
Prior to social media, if a marketing manager received 100 letters of complaint about a particular ad, it was generally enough to have them take it off air. Lobbying was once mainly the province of slick professional companies, with the aim of influencing policy on behalf of paid clients, from oil companies to the Catholic Church.
Social media, particularly Twitter, has allowed any group of zealots to appear much larger and exert more influence than their unelected (and population percentage) status justifies – amplification, as they say in the world of social media. And it is not just the ads, but the programmes and publications in which they appear, receive the censorship attack.
If a person puts their mind to it, they can find offence in just about anything. When doing the advertising for the United Nation International Year of the Family, a large film distributor offered to run the TV ad we created just prior to the opening scene of a new movie. The offer was declined as the movie deemed up there with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, by the senior federal public servants. A dreadful movie which gave off all the wrong messages about family. It encouraged sexism, homophobia and racial stereotyping.
The movie in question? The Lion King. Yep. Lionesses subservient to the lions (sexism), the “evil” lion spoke with a hint of a lisp. (Homophobia). Whoopi Goldberg was the voice of the lead hyena. (Racial stereotyping). God only knows what damage this movie has done to millions of impressionable young minds all around the world?
This occurred in 1994. Political correctness is not a recent phenomenon.
A golden rule has always been, unless you are acting for a political party, stay clear of politics. Yet I have seen a distinct drift to the left and political correctness within the advertising industry over the past 30 years.
Today it seems that any ad which dares to step outside of the vanilla draws fire from vested interest minorities. Disturbingly, much of the PC criticism is coming from within the industry. Your subjective professional judgement is always welcome, but shut the hell up about issues of political correctness.
Advertisers (and advertising people) need to find out more about what the almost silent majority think, rather than the vocal social media minority.
No wonder we have campaigns like “It’s a Mitsy”. Compare it to this TVC
Great ideas push the envelope and step outside of the norm. But if a client is going to be swayed by concerted social media campaigns and conflict and criticism from within their organistaion (have to fight both internally and externally) then they won’t ever be caught up in any type of controversy, nor will they ever benefit from big ideas for the brands and products for which they are responsible.
Great ideas provoke great debate and ultimately lead to great results. And isn’t that what advertising is supposed to help achieve?
Vanilla – works for ice cream, but not for advertising.
Latest News
TV Ratings (18/04/2024): I’m A Celebrity Wins Prime Time And Key Demos
Aussie viewers can be a harsh lot at times. Only days after Ellie Cole bled her heart out, she has been sent packing.
Effie&co Launches New ConnectAsia Division To Help Aussie Brands Market To Asian Consumers Overseas & At Home
Not provided is advice on using chopsticks and not spilling ramen down your shirt.
Cashrewards Sets Out Stall For New CMO
Thinking of applying for the Cashrewards CMO gig? Here are some insider tips that, yes, are tantamount to cheating.
‘I Ask For The TV Industry To Stand Up And Defend Itself’ – Seven Boss James Warburton Steps Down
The Seven supremo heads for the exits after five years. Here's hoping the Spotlight team organised the farewell bash.
Poh! Jamie! Adriano! Paramount ANZ reveals its tasty plans for this year’s MasterChef
It's your fan's guide to this year's MasterChef! Although no tips on how to pronounce crudités or use a un fait-tout.
Dentsu’s iProspect Partners With MOOD Tea Ahead Of May Campaign Launch
We love a Mood Tea here at B&T. Although we do store old screws and nails in the International Roast caterer's tin.
Opinion: When Culture Starts Eating Itself: Navigating The Age Of Self-eating Nostalgia
Born boss David Coupland asks is adland going through a nostalgia period? But please, no repeats of Best Of Red Faces.
Who’s Going To Cannes?! The TikTok Young Lions Winners!
It's Aussie adland's next gen! They're off to Cannes with high hopes of bringing back a Lion & a foot-long Toblerone.
Adobe Launches Express Mobile App With Firefly AI
Want to be the coolest kid at Friday staff drinks but forgot your retro Nikes? This new Adobe wizardry may do the trick.
ThinkNewsBrands & IMAA Extend News Publishing Education In Brisbane
Industry duo takes its publishing roadshow to Brisbane. Was disappointed no male attendees were wearing walk socks.
B&T Chats With Wavemaker’s Provocative Pioneers On Their Cross-Pacific Sojourn
B&T TV heads to Wavemaker's Sydney digs to interview two staffers from its New York & LA digs. If that makes sense?
HoMie & Champion Launch “Give One. Get One” Campaign Supporting Youth Homelessness Via Town Square
Much like the fête's prized chutney wears a blue winners sash, so too should this top initiative from HoMie & Champion.
Thinkerbell Takes Us Back To Summer In Latest Work For XXXX
This beer ad wants to take you back to summer! Just minus any chance of a shark attack on your morning bus commute.
Cannes Lions Unveils 2024 Programme Featuring Queen Latifah, Jay Shetty & P&G’s Mark Pritchard
Are you one of the lucky ducks heading to Cannes in June? Check out the headliner acts you'll be queueing hours to see.
Scroll Media Recruits Costa Panagos From Twitch
Costa Panagos set to bring South American flair to the Scroll offices. Assuming that he is, indeed, South American.
Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs
Born around the 2000s? Need to amp up your AI creds? This guide's for you (although it's not really that age specific).
General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania
Do you rage about oversized American cars on our roads? You need to bail up Heath Walker at parties & industry events.
VML Launches New “Envoyage” Brand For Flight Centre
VML unveils new brand for travel operator Flight Centre. Alas, no sign of those paid actors pretending to be pilots.
Subaru Places Media Account Up For Review
Subaru puts media up for review, as adland journos get set for mandatory "agency drives off with..." headline.
TV Ratings (17/04/2024): Contestants Faced With Harsh Realities As Alone Australia Heats Up (Or Cools Down)
Alone still doing the business for SBS. Overly long train journeys not doing the business, but they persist anyway.
Ben Fordham Loses Number One Spot As Ray Hadley Celebrates 156th Ratings Win
The radio numbers are in! Discover who's off for a boozy lunch today & who's waiting for the dreaded HR death knock.
Gourmet Ice Cream Brand Connoisseur Launches New “Thrill Your Senses” Iteration, Via SICKDOGWOLFMAN
Rattling the old "truth in advertising" adage comes this ice-cream spot full of noticeably thin people.
Paramount’s Global Sales Boss: ‘Australia’s Converged Model Is A Blueprint For How I’d Like All Of Our Markets To Be’
Paramount's global sales boss gives local sales ops the thumbs up. Didn't weigh-in on the Lisa Wilkinson debacle.
TikTok Starts Testing Its Instagram Rival In Australia
In exciting news for piano playing cats & brattish pranks in shopping centres, TikTok unveils its Insta rival plans.
Man Wrongly Named By Seven As Bondi Killer Hires Lawyers
Struggling to save for a house deposit? Why not get wrongly identified by Sunrise!
Smartsheet Appoints Indie Agency Sandbox Media To Its Media Account
Can't stand your colleagues? Like to dob them in when they miss a deadline? These work management platforms are ideal.
Boss Not Letting You Come To Cannes In Cairns? Use This Business Case To Convince Them!
Stingy boss won't spring for a ticket to Cairns? Add this to your persuasive argument repertoire. Or grovel.
Alt/shift/ Brisbane Builds Portfolio With Ausbuild Creative, PR, Content & Social Account Win
The Brisbane comms/PR agency lands constructor Ausbuild. Also hoping for a discount on its new glass conservatory.
Young Guns Versus The Old Guard: Who Adds More Value to Our Industry?
Cannes In Cairns poking this hornet's nest in a lively debate. Just so long as the oldies can get up the stairs.
70% Of Aussies Don’t Have Green Power Plans ENGIE Says In Major Brand Campaign Via HERO
Are you the notorious "light leaver on-er" in your flatshare? Quell any infighting with this green energy news.
PrettyGood Launches Offering Brand & Media Solutions For Australasian SMEs
B&T applauds the charitable nature of this new agency. Although we'd hate to see it impact any Chrissie present sends.
A Blunt End: Dolphins Medicinal Cannabis Sponsorship At Risk
Yes, it's another NRL drug story. Yet, thankfully it doesn't involve coke in Kuta during the off-season.
Slew Of New Creative Hires At Leo Burnett Australia
Ahhh, all black! The outfit of choice for agency creatives, David Jones staff and everyone in Melbourne.
Under Armour Unveils Local “Live in UA” Campaign
American apparel brand set for yet another tilt at the Aussie market, as Nike declares "we'll see about that".
Pepsi Launches New Look, Refreshing Classic Fashion Staples Via Special PR
Are you always the bridesmaid, never the bride, as the old saying goes? How do you think Pepsi feels?
Pure Blonde Returns To A Place Purer Than Yours In New Campaign Via The Monkeys
B&T's always been a huge fan of the 'drink yourself thinner' diet plan. So big thanks to Pure blonde, vodka & tequila.