Over the past few years, I have kind of noticed a pattern in advertisements: More and more “controversial” ads actually reflect my interests and values. I’m looking and I’m liking.
Like this ad, featuring two gay dads and their kids, around the time of father’s day last year. I felt like this ad told me something about the values of JC Penney, in the wake of also hiring Ellen DeGeneres. I support gay marriage (as do many other Americans, nine states, the American Academy of Pediatrics, I could go on….) and I think efforts to publicly support gay parents (or as we should call them, “parents”) and this ad rock.
I realize that certain things about me result in the fact that advertisers and companies probably spend a lot of time and money figuring out how to influence my brain so I will decide to buy their products. But if this is what you put out to sway me and my brain, and thereby tell me and the world this is what you and your company value, keep it coming.
If lovin’ Luvs is wrong for this advertisement featuring a breastfeeding-in-public mom, I don’t wanna be right. Because this was SOOOO me when I was breastfeeding my kids!
Mommy’s brains (not to be confused with the disabling syndrome “mommy brain”) are also prime time advertising real estate. As Moms, we make or have high influence on most household purchasing decisions.
Personally, I have two kids, a boy and a girl. I’m in my mid-thirties. We are part of the middle class, whose spending primarily drive the economy of this country.
I’m a mom with purchasing power. And this mom has fallen for certain advertisers’ fishing expeditions: Hook, line and sinker.
Have you seen this sweet, adorable ad from Cheerios featuring a multi-racial family (AKA a “family”) and one of the most adorable children you will ever see? Sadly, the first time you heard about it was probably directly connected to the word “controversy.” The ad came out this week and within hours, Cheerios disabled comments on YouTube due to an overwhelming number of insensitive and racist remarks from haters. {Boo! Haters!}
More and more, I find that I tune in to advertisements that I not only like, but that reflect values that I agree with and want to support. When I see ads that reflect the values of equality, justice, and the kind of world I want my children to grow up in, I don’t see controversy. I see progress staring back at me from the screen and I just smile.
Hmmm, I wonder if they sell Cheerios at Costco? I may throw the kids in the car and make a trip this weekend.
About Mary Beth Cox