Holden Losing Its “Quintessential Aussie Personality” With McGuire Reaction: Robert Strohfeldt
As the controversy surrounding Eddie McGuire and his comments continue, and Holden reconsiders its Collingwood sponsorship, Strohfeldt Consulting founder Robert Strohfeldt, weighs in on the debate.
Holden is considering its sponsorship of Collingwood because of comments made by Eddie McGuire. If Eddie made the same comments about a white, Anglo-Saxon male, there would not have been a peep out of the Chattering Classes.
The absurdity of it all is not just that he said it on Melbourne morning radio to an audience of five-eighths, of one-third of FA, but that what he said could be correlated to violence against women. (Mathematically sound statistical analysis has no place in a debate based on emotion.)
Political correctness really has taken hold and a small minority of self- appointed crusaders use social media to impose censorship on the majority.
Of those who are highly offended, I wonder how many actually heard the banter and the context in which McGuire’s statement was made? Context is everything, but nothing to these people. One of my closest friends, who sadly passed away suddenly, was gay. My two daughters called him Uncle Charles, as he was also a neighbour and spent so much time with them. We were all devastated by his death. But his legacy was my daughters grew up with the understanding that a person’s worth is not judged by their sexual preference.
The Chattering Classes would have been aghast though as I would sometimes greet him with, “How is my poofter mate?” He would describe me to his circle of gay friends as “my knuckle dragging, ex-footballer mate from Queensland.” Taken out of context, both statements would be seen as derogatory and inflammatory.
We had a monthly dinner “date”. Charles was an architect, highly intelligent, educated and great company. I am sure that some people must have thought I was gay when they saw the two of us out having dinner together. Charles once asked me if I felt uncomfortable about this. “I don’t give a f…k what people think” was my response.
But the Chattering Classes are all about being seen to be correct in all things political. Borrowing a line from Paul Keating “They are all tip and no ice-berg.”. Being “seen” is much more important that “doing”.
George Orwell was right, but it was not 1984. It took until 2016 before the Thought Police ruled.
Whilst Eddie is coping a barrage, Islamists are openly saying that homosexuality is punishable by death under Sharia Law. Also, under these medieval laws, women are treated as second class citizens, yet the same people wanting Eddie’s head on a stick are silent about these very open and broadly reported beliefs.
Social media, whilst having many positives, also has an insidious side. Facebook, Instagram etc. have not only done a great job in conning advertisers about their commercial worth, they are the medium of choice for bullies:
- Teenagers who harass peers for trite reasons, but with huge and sometimes tragic consequences.
- Loud mouthed, self-appointed guardians of a new social order in which freedom of speech (and they hope thought) is crushed. Though small in number, they are amplified exponentially so that major advertisers such as Holden think they represent the majority.
I am no great fan of Eddie McGuire. But the impact of his antics are negligible in comparison to effect the social media loud mouths are having on freedom of speech and democracy. Maybe that is why they get on so well with the Islamists.
Self- appointed political correct police are not a recent phenomenon. Back in 1979 at university I used to laugh at the academic elitists who would only drink French red wine and smoke Cuban cigars, whilst they sat around and discussed the plight of the working masses.
They gravitated to Russia, some even visiting Moscow and returning full of praise for a system that machine gunned whole families who dared to try and escape from their Utopia. (The Berlin wall sure as hell wasn’t erected to stop people trying to break into the East German paradise).
Anyone who disagreed with them was called a Nazi. Yet Stalin made Hitler look like a pacifist, murdering over 50 million of his own people. Both were killers who embraced “ethnic cleansing” with a passion, but one gained respectability in the eyes of the Chattering Classes.
In 1994, these same style of activists wanted nothing to do with the movie The Lion King. It promoted sexism, homophobia and racial stereotyping. How many millions of children have grown up with a warped sense of social justice after seeing this hideous movie that is a blight on any civilised society?
Maybe it is a major reason for all of the mass shootings in the USA? Forget tougher gun control, stamp out The Lion King, Finding Nemo and all other Disney propaganda movies. He was widely known as being anti-sematic. Hang on, that is ok.
So back to good old Holden. A brand that once was an embodiment of the quintessential Aussie personality. But no longer. The Chattering Classes say there is now no such thing as an Australian culture and way of life. And they are doing their best to ensure we join their international peers to become one big mono-culture.
“Football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars”, was purely a male pitch and didn’t consider the large percentage of female buyers. The “boofy bloke” image never was representative of all buyers. It was a man’s world back then and there is no argument that societal attitudes have changed for the better.
But equality does not have to come at the expense of the recognition of differences between men and women. “Ice-skating, truffles, fairy penguins and Fiat Bambinos” is the way we are headed though.
An adversarial approach to guys like McGuire and his mates will not achieve anything but resentment. Though he apologised, I very much doubt he meant it.
Rather than embarrass and berate him, maybe someone should have taken him to a refuge for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. That would get the message through far more effectively.
The way it has been handled, he is more than likely pointing out the hypocrisy I mentioned and feeling bitter. It could have been a lost opportunity to turn him into an advocate.
Latest News
Stop What You’re Doing! B&T’s 30 Under 30 Awards 2021 Are Now Open For Entries!
Of all of B&T's events, 30 Under 30 definitely attracts the coolest, hippest crowd but arguably has the crappest music.
Advertisers Vs Aussie TV Networks: Who Scores Best On Sustainability?
In this guest post, Jade Ong, Co-founder and COO at Elevate Super, discusses who scores bets on sustainability: advertisers or Aussies TV networks? Commercial TV networks have always worked hard to earn the trust of advertisers. As an industry predominantly built on advertising dollars, trust is an important commodity the networks can lever to earn […]
Ex-Hogarth Executive & Fusion Co-Gounder Bucks Agency Model With New Product Design Firm, Diagram
John Chaplin (pictured), former Chief Product Officer of Hogarth Australia and Co-founder of award winning digital agency Fusion, has launched a new digital product design company, Diagram. Based in Sydney, Diagram are a collective of creators and makers who partner with individuals, agencies, startups, business and industry to design and build considered, elegant digital products. […]
Nike Ad On Bullying Sparks Racism Debate & Calls For Boycott
An ad by Nike Japan that covers issues of bullying and racism is facing severe online backlash, as well as calls to boycott the sports giant’s products. The two-minute spot, released by Nike Japan, centres on several teenage girls bullied in school over their race or other differences. In the end, they find their confidence […]
Kmart Produces First-Ever TV Special, A Christmas Showcase On Nine, Via Mushroom Group
Australia’s biggest retail brand, Kmart, has produced its first-ever television special, in collaboration with Melbourne-based Production Agency, Mushroom Group. Premiering this Friday, 4 December 2020 at 7:30pm (EDT) on Channel Nine, ‘Small Gift, Big Heart at Christmas’ is a 30-minute TV special that acknowledges the challenges Australians have faced throughout 2020 and the very different […]
DDB Retains Iron Grip On Top Spot For New Business Wins
DDB's stellar 2020 continues apace. Well, apart from that family of possums in the attic & the septic playing up.
Spark Foundry Roars To Top Spot For New Media Wins For October
Spark crowned Australia's best performing media agency, as Beverly from accounts threatens to bake gluten-free brownies.
Salesforce Makes Moves In Automation And Digital Transformation As Part Of Dreamforce 2020
After announcing the mega acquisition of workplace chat company Slack yesterday, tech giant Salesforce has made a raft of announcements as part of this year’s annual Dreamforce event, which has been held virtually. Headlining the announcements was news of Salesforce Hyperforce, which comes as a reimagination of the company’s platform architecture built to securely and […]
Carat: Google, Samsung & eBay Top List Of Australia’s “Most Emotionally Intelligent Brands”
Carat unveils list of top emotionally intelligent brands. B&T assumes they also workout & watch their alcohol intake.
South Australia Health, Wavemaker & News Corp Act Fast To Launch COVID-Safe Black Friday Mask Giveaway
Wavemaker, News Corp and South Australia Health collaborated to launch a Covid-Safe mask giveaway in time for Black Friday sales activating a campaign that would normally take 6-8 weeks in just 6-8 hours. Following the recent unexpected Parafield cluster that led to Adelaide’s lockdown, SA Health identified Black Friday – a key shopping event with […]
Taylor Swift, Ryan Reynolds And Satan Destroy 2020 In Comedy Gem For Dating Site
Here's a top piece of feel-good ad making. Although, be warned in case Taylor Swift's music makes you strangely violent.
triple j’s Hottest 100 Kicks Off With Lifeline Partnership
The countdown to triple j’s Hottest 100 has begun. And that means the Australia Day naysayers have also begun, too.
Jessica Thompson Joins Leadership Ranks Of Salesforce Partner 8squad
Salesforce boutique partner 8squad has hired former Australia Post senior executive Jessica Thompson in the new role of chief operating officer, to accelerate the company’s expansion. The company is now nearing 50 employees, gained within 18 months of launching, with 8squad helping Australian businesses and building platforms for innovative FinTech business launches. CEO Frank Cuiuli […]
Google Signs On To Pay Australian Publishers As Part Of Global Initiative
Google set to pay Australian publishers. Apparently in ground unicorn horn dust and plundered Inca treasures.
iStock Releases 2021 Visual Trends To Support SMBs And SMEs
iStock has released its top visual communications trends to help small and medium-sized businesses better plan their brand and performance marketing for 2021. Experts from across iStock have identified key emerging trends that they claim will resonate with consumers after a year of disruption—from major political events, the impact of COVID-19, effects of climate change, […]
Air New Zealand Goes In Search Of 8th Wonder Of The World In Fun New Safety Video
When B&T has important business in Rotorua we fly Air New Zealand. Not that we've actually ever been to Rotorua.
What’s Next For Australia’s Privacy Laws?
With the Australian government currently undertaking the most significant review to our data laws ever, smrtr’s co-founder and CTO Boris Guennewig explains what might be next for Australia’s privacy laws. Australia’s privacy laws look set for a significant shakeup following the ACCC’s inquiry into digital platforms. As part of the government’s response to the Digital […]
IBA Report Reveals PR & Marketing Agencies Are Falling Short Of Today’s Market Needs
Only 11 per cent of marketing managers are happy with their public relations agency, staggering findings from a new IBA International report show. IBA International, a leading B2B marketing communications consultancy, has announced the findings of a primary research report, which examines the confidence of B2B organisations in their marketing and communications agency structures. It […]
DoubleVerify Launches Publisher Suite For Digital Publishers
DoubleVerify has today announced the launch of the DV Publisher Suite, providing the measurement, insights and tools digital publishers need to improve ad delivery, assess inventory quality and maximize yield. For publishers, generating revenue has never been more complex. Today’s demand-side landscape consists of thousands of potential buyers, each with their own unique requirements, transacting […]
Australian Open Start Date Confirmed For February The 8th
Aussie Open organisers confirm the date when every Australian suddenly has to become interested in tennis for two weeks.
Verizon Media Launches ConnectID As A Cookie-Less Solution
Verizon Media has announced the launch of its new unified identity solution, Verizon Media ConnectID. Built on the foundation of Verizon Media’s consumer-first values and market-leading advertising technologies, the new unified ID solution is designed to support advertisers, publishers and consumers as the digital landscape evolves away from cookies as a way to manage and […]
The End Of The IDFA Is Nigh: Preparing For Mobile Identity In 2021
If mobile marketing's your shtick then you need to plant the peepers on this explorative piece and pronto.
Val Morgan Outdoor Launches Next-Gen Screens At World Square
Val Morgan Outdoor (VMO) has secured an exclusive large format tender with next-generation, iconic screens at one of Sydney’s key retail, commuter and entertainment destinations, World Square. With market leading technology, VMO will deliver the ultimate immersive experience in the form of truly intelligent, curved internal LED screens and a hero screen spanning 8 metres […]
Yeesum Lo Joins 10 ViacomCBS As Head Of Development
It was announced today that Yeesum Lo will join 10 ViacomCBS in the newly created role of Head of Development. Reporting directly to Head of Programming, Daniel Monaghan, Lo will be responsible for identifying and developing locally produced Australian content across all channels and platforms in conjunction with the wider Network 10 team. Lo joins […]
Bunnings Light Up The Warehouse In Christmas Activation Via Bastion EBA
On Friday 27 November Bunnings launched their biggest ever Christmas activation, which was created and brought to life by strategic brand, commercial and experiential agency Bastion EBA. To bring a little magic to this Christmas, the activation involved lighting up one of their Melbourne warehouses, Bunnings Warehouse Maribyrnong. This resulted in a spectacular Christmas lighting […]
The Top 100 TikTok Creators, Trends And Videos In 2020
TikTok has always been about bringing people together to inspire each other and share moments of joy. It’s also a place to find your community, no matter your interests. This has never been more important than in 2020. From devastating bushfires, to a global pandemic that introduced us to social distancing and loss, to community […]
Fleur Head Steps Into MD Role At VMLY&R New Zealand
VMLY&R NZ announces Fleur Head is stepping into the role of Managing Director VMLY&R New Zealand following the resignation of current MD James Mok. Head was previously Managing Director of VMLY&R Wellington. Wellington-based Head, who has more than 25 years agency and management experience across both the Auckland and Wellington markets, will lead VMLY&R NZ […]
Spotify Wrapped 2020: Bad Bunny Tops Most Streamed Artist
Bad Bunny tops Spotify's most-streamed list for 2020. Which certainly begs the question - who the hell's Bad Bunny?
Wild Turkey And Matthew McConaughey Recognise Aussie Local Legends
Wild Turkey and Creative Director Matthew McConaughey, in partnership with Eleven, unveil a new Wild Turkey With Thanks initiative. The integrated campaign is shining a light on Australian Local Legends who have stood with conviction supporting their environment and communities throughout the crises of 2020. Wild Turkey’s With Thanks is a global, annual platform, wherein […]
ABC Responds To Oz Allegations Over Four Corners: “We Don’t Use Private Investigators”
ABC's Four Corners saga looked all set for a rather juicy twist. However, someone's de-juiced it by denying it all.
