14141: Pro Is Short For Profit.

Adweek Editorial Director James Cooper proudly presented Adweek Pro as “a New Model to Help Us Better Connect With Our Audience”—and he promised, “Membership will have its privileges.” Gee, if Cooper were a copywriter, he’d be a direct mail hack. His announcement is essentially letting readers know they’ll now have to pay for access to the digital content. It will be interesting to see the drop in readership, although Adweek probably does not have the capabilities to accurately measure the decline. Sorry, but Adweek content is not worth $6 for 12 weeks (a sneaky way of softening the blow of $24 annually).

Adweek actually reflects the advertising industry—as well as the business world—from an organizational standpoint. That is, the publication has downsized staff and dumped columnists over the years, leading to a commoditization of talent and content. No offense, but having “reporters” simultaneously serving Adweek and AgencySpy underscores the overall quality of the offerings. This blog believes that Adfreak is probably drawing more traffic than Adweek. Plus, Adweek has scrambled to adapt to the existing reality ignited by digital. So here they are, resorting to forcing their audience to register and pay for participating in the “omnichannel community” that Cooper oversees. Membership will have its privileges. However, the privileges will profit Adweek, not their audience.

Announcing Adweek Pro, a New Model to Help Us Better Connect With Our Audience

Membership will have its privileges

By James Cooper

As a nearly 40-year-old brand, Adweek has a rich history of following the key trends shaping the businesses and careers of the people we write about. We pride ourselves on being nimble and scrappy enough to change along with them to stay relevant and valuable to our audience.

We have adapted along the way and thrived. Now it’s time to change again for the betterment of our business and the community we are dedicated to and passionate about.

I say community rather than audience because our content is consumed in a much more omnichannel way than ever before and—from our Twitter chats to expanding events franchises—it is far more interactive as well. Community is also one of the three Cs—the other two being context and connotation—that we strive to infuse not only in our content but our culture as well.

But in order to truly deliver on that community proposition we need to know more about our members and their wants and needs from their relationship with the Adweek brand.

So with that said, Adweek is announcing today the launch of our new membership offering, Adweek Pro, a new community-driven platform and all-access offering. The vision for our new platform will allow us to not only engage on a deeper level with our content, but in a modern, digital-first way, connect with our member community directly. This will in turn help us create new products and benefits for our readers who look to us as the premier resource for information and insight into how to do their jobs better in this complex and transforming world.

So how will it work? Visitors to Adweek.com will be invited to register to view up to five pieces of content per month for free, excluding select content that is reserved for Adweek Pro members only. Once they have viewed their five free articles, readers will be prompted to become Adweek Pro members.

Adweek Pro Digital offers unlimited access to Adweek.com (including a searchable archive of content dating back to 1993), the digital edition of Adweek magazine, invitations to “Ask the Editors” live sessions, early access to Adweek podcasts, discounted admission to Adweek events, exclusive reports and more. The Adweek Pro Digital + Print membership includes all the benefits of Adweek Pro Digital, plus delivery of Adweek’s print magazine. Membership plans start at just $6 for 12 weeks of Adweek Pro Digital.

The past two years have seen change, at scale and at pace, that the media and marketing worlds have never seen before. Careers and businesses hang in the balance as our world transforms. And we are really at the beginning of this generational story arc.

The new Adweek Pro membership offerings and site upgrades announced today are to help follow that story through a tighter, highly symbiotic bond with our community, which will help inform and guide our best-in-class content, products and franchises.

It will be our honor to host this community, and we know membership will have its privileges.

13809: Diversity In Aisle 1.

AdFreak reported on a grocery store in Germany that created stunt to promote diversity. Hey, why not? Germans embracing equality and inclusion is not much more peculiar than White advertising agencies doing the same damned thing.

A German Supermarket Removed All Foreign Products for a Day to Make a Point About Diversity

The bold stunt comes as immigration tensions run high

By Angela Natividad

What does a grocery store look like without Greek olives, Spanish tomatoes and frozen goods from who-knows-where?

You’re about to find out.

To emphasize the importance of global diversity in a context everyone can understand, German supermarket Edeka made a surprising decision: It emptied its Hamburg location of all foreign-made products.

For shoppers wandering around confused, signs featured messages like, “So empty is a shelf without foreigners,” “This shelf is quite boring without variety,” “Our range now knows borders,” and, “We will be poorer without diversity.”

People mostly believe what their range of experience permits. Protectionist policy thrives on such blind spots: It’s easy to be racist when the groups you’re demonizing are abstractions.

That’s what gives this work its oomph—nothing is more personal than access to and preferences for food, which guarantee a visceral emotional reaction.

Hamburg is the second most populous city in Germany, behind Berlin, with resident aliens composing nearly 15 percent of the population. But German opinion’s become pretty tense since Chancellor Angela Merkel announced an open-door immigration policy for refugees two years ago.

The decision led to the arrival of 890,000 asylum seekers in 2015 alone … and early this year, Germany announced plans to roll the policy back. (The stance did, however, boost Germany’s prominence on the global stage.)

Online, vice chair of the Christian Democratic Union Party Julia Klöckner praised the campaign, calling it “a wise action” that would give people pause. The comment generated a bevy of replies, including one from Marcus Pretzell (no longer visible), representing an immigrant-hostile party, Alternative for Germany: “Why exactly should it be wise? Is it not rather completely mad?” he was quoted as saying, per The Independent.

Edeka’s got a reputation for producing the kind of quirky, unhinged advertising creatives look forward to. (2014’s much-lauded “Supergeil” comes to mind.) If you’re wondering why it would suddenly break tone to make a political stance this dramatic, consider that its work often has a moral bent.

In a 2015 Christmas ad, an old patriarch fakes his own death to compel his family to gather for the season. 2016’s holiday ad used an anti-consumerist message to remind people that being together is more important than gifts. And the controversial “Eatkarus” ad of 2017 is, at its heart, a story about embracing a path that alienates you from others—especially when you’re doing it for your own health and happiness.

“Edeka stands for variety and diversity,” an Edeka spokesperson said of the Hamburg activation. “In our stores we sell numerous foods which are produced in the various regions of Germany. … But only together, with products from other countries, it is possible to create the unique variety that our consumers value. We are pleased that our campaign caused so many positive reactions.”

13592: More Diverted Diversity Bullshit.

Adfreak reported on “The Fearless Girl” statue erected by McCann New York as part of a diverted diversity demonstration for State Street Global Advisors. While discussing the sculptor who created the statue, McCann Senior Art Director Lizzie Wilson said, “It was very important to us to work with a female team. We really wanted a female artist to be part of this. We wanted a female photographer. We wanted as much female leadership represented as possible, and as many female hands on the project as possible.” Okay, well that explains why White advertising agencies like McCann didn’t produce similarly elaborate work for Black History Month in February. Identifying and assembling a Black team would have been nearly impossible.

13182: Shitting On McKinney Hype.

AdFreak spotlighted an effort from McKinney that protests the North Carolina Bathroom Bill targeting transgender citizens. Now, MultiCultClassics has spanked McKinney in the past for its appearance on The Pitch, as well as a self-promotional stunt involving a 12-year-old minority intern and a Black History Month campaign. So this latest concept is hardly unprecedented in its hypocrisy. Apparently, the agency hatched the project “because we value equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights…” Yes, and the McKinney brain trust perfectly reflects the agency’s commitment to such high-minded tolerance. Perhaps McKinney should use the oh-so-clever toilet paper to wipe up its own bullshit.

McKinney Printed N.C.’s Bathroom Bill on Toilet Paper. You Know What to Do With It

An effort to ‘Flush HB2’

By Patrick Coffee

“It makes great cocktail napkins, bookmarks, facial tissues. But you know what’s best to do with it!” Yes, Durham, N.C., agency McKinney knows where its home state’s controversial House Bill 2 belongs—in the toilet.

The Charlotte City Council passed a nondiscrimination ordinance in February that included a rule allowing transgender people to use public restrooms assigned to the gender with which they identify. Furious opposition groups supported by Gov. Pat McCrory then ran ads arguing that the ordinance would make it easier for male sexual predators to get closer to victims by posing as women.

The state legislature later called a special session to pass “HB2,” which requires all North Carolina residents to use the public restrooms associated with their birth gender. The move has enraged civil liberties groups nationwide, and North Carolina has been the focus of plenty of backlash over HB2.

McKinney proposes a solution to the HB2 problem: Flush it. And they mean this quite literally, as you’ll see in the video below.

As noted in the clip, PayPal cited the bill in announcing that it would abandon plans to open a facility in Charlotte. And the NBA also raised doubts about hosting its 2017 All-Star Game in the city’s Time Warner Cable Arena, home of the Hornets.

Last month, McKinney chairman and CEO Brad Brinegar became one of more than 100 chief executives across the country to sign an open letter asking McCrory to repeal the new law. That group most prominently included Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook and Brian Chesky of Airbnb. The letter called HB2 “bad for North Carolina, bad for America, and bad for business.” Brinegar also recently appeared on CNN to speak out against a bill he called “regressive” and “reactionary.”

McKinney was inspired to create the project by advocacy groups Equality NC and Human Rights Campaign, which launched “Turn Out NC” encouraging residents to petition their legislators regarding the bill’s repeal. (The agency does have a connection to the latter organization; its longtime COO, Joni Madison, became COO and chief of staff at Human Rights Campaign last month.)

In a statement, McKinney told AdFreak that it worked on this project “because we value equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights … and we don’t care which [bathroom] you feel most comfortable using.”

“We tried to create something that could stand as a visual for what many North Carolinians think about the bill,” added group creative director Will Chambliss. “We hope people read it and then, well, you know the rest.”

Gov. McCrory has so far resisted calls to revisit HB2, but the bill continues to serve as a considerable headache for the former Charlotte mayor and city councilman. Public opinion polls now show his oppontent, Democratic attorney general Roy Cooper, with a small lead six months before November’s gubernatorial election.

McKinney mailed AdFreak a roll of the toilet paper so we might join in the efforts to “flush this bill down the toilet of history.” We’ll let you know how that goes.

13113: Typecasting Calls.

Adfreak spotlighted a video featuring actresses reading real casting call specs with sexist requirements. Hey, someone should do a similar video for minority actors, where the routine casting call specs include racist stereotypes that are discriminatory and arguably illegal.

Actresses Read the Real (and Really Sexist) Casting Calls They’re Subjected to Each Day Project encourages women to create their own content

By David Griner

If you needed evidence women are still stymied by stereotypes in ads and shows, look no further than this eye-opening and eye-rolling video.

“Casting Call, The Project” features 18 women reading real casting notices into the camera, with their reactions ranging from raised eyebrows and exasperated sighs to obscenities and abject disgust.

“In our quest to find and create work, we became all too familiar with reading character breakdowns posted on casting call notices via the numerous casting websites (some legitimate and reputable, others, not so much),” wrote the three artists who created the project. “Throughout this journey, we would often share with each other particularly ridiculous, hysterical and appalling casting call notices.”

The three friends—Julie Asriyan, Laura Bray and Jenna Ciralli—decided to compile some of these many infuriating notices into a video that could be passed along by those who share their frustrations. The plan seems to be working, with the video having received more than 320,000 views in its first 24 hours on Facebook.

Each casting call included in the video is riddled with undertones (or blatant overtones) of stereotypes about gender, race, age and body type.

Most convey the usual ad/film stereotypes: “Loves being a woman, so she probably wears a push-up bra.” “She’s actually pretty, even with no makeup.” “Nerdy type of girl, nevertheless she has a boyfriend who loves her.” “Her cleavage is her best feature.”

Several highlight the casting industry’s laughable view of feminism, with lines like: “Lead actress needed for film about feminism. She is moderately attractive.” Another: “Prefer an actor who is not thin. This is a great role for a feminist.”

The goal of the project, created by three friends in New York, isn’t just to point out the industry’s sexism and ridiculous tropes. It’s also about showing creative women why they should also be focused on producing their own content. By taking ownership of the creative process, women can “bring about the roles we all want to see for female actors,” the project’s creators said.

If you’re interested in learning more about the women included in the video, you can read their acting bios on the project’s website, CastingCallTheProject.com.

13003: B.S. From The Belgium Boys.

Adfreak reported on a campaign from Belgium, where top advertising executives are donating sperm and eggs to “ensure the nation’s creative future.” The goal is to perpetuate the creative ranks through selective breeding. Um, this is clearly one of the most racist endeavors in advertising history, reminiscent of Aryanism. The print ads for the campaign tell the story, in terms of the White maleness of the project. What’s so outrageous is the reality that typical hiring practices in our industry make the campaign completely unnecessary. That is, advertising agencies will extend the exclusivity via cronyism, nepotism, racism and all the other isms that have worked for generations. Sorry, but this idea is nothing more than a circle jerk for self-promotion and awards.

12988: Giving The Finger To Droga5.

AdFreak spotlighted the Android “Fingerprints” commercial created by Droga5, including a supplemental tweet featuring the cast members. AdFreak pointed out the Black fingers among the cast. When MultiCultClassics first saw the spot on TV, the question of diversity came up, as it’s difficult to distinguish race and ethnicity via fingers. Not sure why Android and Droga5 felt compelled to present the commercial’s inclusiveness. It would be interesting to reveal the racial and ethnic makeup of the Droga5 team behind the campaign. Based on the agency’s historical exclusivity, the revelation would likely inspire giving the finger to Droga5.

Everyone Is a Finger in Droga5’s Zany New Ad for Android

Diversity, sort of

By Gabriel Beltrone

Visual synecdoche rules in Droga5’s new Android spot, in which fingers dressed up as caricatures stand in for consumers.

There’s a hitchhiker finger in a Hawaiian shirt, and a subway commuter with a bright red afro, and a masked Mexican wrestling finger—but they all fit right in using Google’s mobile operating system, says the ad.

Titled “Fingerprints”—presumably because everyone has a unique digit—the spot the latest under the brand’s “Be together. Not the same” tagline. That’s a good thing, or at least, has a better ring to it than “Android. The smartphone platform for people who have fingers.”

Overall, the concept is inevitably not as charming as Android’s supercut of different animal species playing together to the sounds of Roger Miller’s 1973 tune “Oo-De-Lally”—among Adweek’s 10 best ads of 2015. It also can’t but evoke Steve Oedekerk’s absurd Thumbs! series, despite the perhaps more obvious association with generic finger puppets.

Regardless, the cute concept survives on neat little twists like the introduction of an extraterrestrial finger, and a werewolf finger, and a finger with a Carmen Miranda fruit hat.

Those visual gimmicks, strung together this time by a version of Barry Louis Polisar’s 1993 children’s song “I Need You Like a Donut Needs a Hole,” are nice enough. Some YouTube commenters are wondering where the black fingers are—a reasonable question, especially given the ad’s emphasis on diversity.

But, perhaps on the bright side, Google clearly didn’t mean anything by what looked to some like an omission. (The marketer has, for its part, tweeted a series of photos of the cast, which includes black finger actors—see below.) Regardless, whether you’re a French painter finger or a finger with all gold everything, the marketer only really cares that you’re not an Apple finger.

12951: Swinging From Chandelier.

Adfreak reported Chandelier Creative is rewarding its employees with a holiday gift of an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan. Chandelier Creative Founder and Creative Director Richard Christiansen explained, “…I realized that there is something incredibly transformative about cultural displacement … about going somewhere where no one speaks your language. Those places are harder to find now, but Japan is one of them. Almost no one in the company has been, which is shocking to me.” Wonder how many Chandelier employees have experienced the incredibly transformative power of cultural displacement by visiting non-White communities near agency offices in New York or Los Angeles. Hell, have they even ventured to Here Are All The Black People or ADCOLOR® events? Chances are, almost no one in the company has been, which is not shocking to anyone.

12907: 10 Stories Of Exclusivity.

Adfreak published a fluff piece titled, “10 Stories of Creative Partners Who’ve Endured and Thrived Without Killing Each Other—How to make a work marriage work.” Based on the photographs, the ten stories clearly tell the story of the advertising industry’s diversity dilemma. That is, besides one obligatory partnering of Latinos, it’s a bunch of White people paired up with similar-looking White people. The ad industry loves depicting concepts with interracial marriages. But such borrowed interest simply constitutes a patronizing smokescreen, implying open-minded attitudes where none actually exist. The true “work marriages” are exclusive affairs.

12816: Baby Got Bic.

Adfreak reported Bic celebrated National Women’s Day in South Africa and wound up offending the audience with the message depicted above. It’s not the first time the pen maker has displayed cultural cluelessness or failed to woo women. Below is Bic’s Black-targeted message for National Women’s Day.

12812: Pornhub Premium Of Pap.

Adfreak spotlighted the latest lameness from Pornhub, featuring a series of awful videos intended to air God-knows-where. This campaign seems completely oblivious to the target audience, presenting contrived scenarios totally lacking relevance and relatability to porn enthusiasts. Like Pornhub’s primary offering, it’s a bunch of fucking bullshit.

12525: 35 Years Of Exclusivity.

A campaign for the 2015 AICP Awards shows that the advertising industry will still be predominately White 35 years from now—which might require Leo Burnett to extend its NO.2.66 figure.

12399: Showing Truth Takes Integrity.

Adfreak reported on the latest advertiser and White advertising agency to jump on the liberal lifestyle bandwagon: Nikon and McCann New York with a video featuring gay fathers with their daughters. It’s always annoying to see such inclusive campaigns coming from White advertising agencies where exclusivity thrives.

McCann New York is a particularly pesky firm. Despite the agency’s iconic “Truth Well Told” tagline, the truth regarding its diversity is not fully, clearly or well told. The agency has elevated executives for the stereotypical diversity-committed roles—and even publicly praised its Chief Diversity Officer for bringing change to the organization—yet there is never open and transparent sharing of the transformation. On the flipside, there are plenty of examples that demonstrate McCann’s cultural cluelessness.

The Lewis family showed the honesty and courage to reveal their truths. Why doesn’t McCann exhibit some integrity and do likewise? Hey, producing open-minded advertising trumps diversity.

The Famous Gay Dads From Instagram Are Now Starring in This Sweet Nikon Commercial

Taking their photography game to the next level

By Alfred Maskeroni

Gay couple Kordale and Kaleb Lewis gained unexpected stardom by posting a photo of themselves and their daughters getting ready in their bathroom for the day ahead.

The Instagram snap went viral, with many people lauding their obvious love and care for their daughters while others, well—they were less than enthused, because they live in a bubble, under a bridge or somewhere in the past.

Well, now the Lewises have their first commercial deal. They teamed up with Nikon for an endearing look at their family and explain their experience of viral fame.

“This is us every day getting up at 5:30 in the morning and getting our daughters ready for school—and it was a simple innocent picture,” says Kaleb. “Kordale was just like, ‘I’m just letting ya’ll know what I have to deal with’—and the next thing you know, it went viral and I’m still amazed like, ‘Why’d this picture go viral?’”

The spot comes off as a well-shot home movie, but is still a delightful glimpse into this modern family’s life. And meanwhile, here’s the photo that started it all:

10522: Mickey D’s Lying Cheeseburger.

AdFreak spotlighted a lame Mickey D’s ad from DDB Stockholm featuring a message delivered by a cheeseburger. The opening dialogue includes, “I’m tasty. I have no enemies.” Oh, really?

9259: Chipotle Mexican Grill Lacks Mexicans.

Chipotle Mexican Grill unveiled a lengthy animated video on sustainable farming featuring Willie Nelson’s performance of Coldplay tune “The Scientist.” Plus, AdFreak posted a lengthy behind-the-scenes video on the production of the ad. Through it all, you won’t see the presence of a single Mexican.

9199: Why Only Ask Blacks To Lead The Protest?

AdFreak created a readers’ poll asking if Rihanna should dump NIVEA in light of the Re-Civilize Yourself ad that drew accusations of racism. Seems like a stupid question to pose, although it was apparently inspired by online protests calling for the recording artist to tear up her endorsement contract. Hey, if Beyoncé is still collecting cash from L’Oréal, why should Rihanna be expected to relinquish her loot? More importantly, if there is indeed a stand to be made, why doesn’t anyone ask the White celebrity spokespeople to join the revolution too?

9087: Additional Vaginal Examinations.

Adweek reported on the Summer’s Eve decision to yank the talking vajayjay commercials too—contrasting the Advertising Age story with slightly different details, including quotes from Stacie Barnett.

For starters, Adweek claimed all three versions—Black, Latina and White—were pulled. But Ad Age is correct in noting the White one is still yammering away at SummersEve.com as hand/vaginas are wont to do. Many people thought the Black and Latina videos were stereotypical and even racist; however, letting the White vajayjay stick around feels like an act of bias and exclusivity on the part of the advertising agency and client. The scenario is reflective of Madison Avenue, where the minorities get cut while the equally awful Caucasian retains her job.

It appears that Barnett semi-carefully considered her remarks before spouting off this time. Nonetheless, she managed to stumble a bit. “Stereotyping or being offensive was not our intention in any way, shape or form,” said Barnett. “The decision to take the videos down is about acknowledging that there’s backlash here. We want to move beyond that and focus on the greater mission.” There they go again with the “greater mission” mumbo-jumbo. Hey, the Dalai Lama is on a greater mission. The Richards Group and Summer’s Eve are selling pussy purifier.

“We do not think [the videos] are stereotypical, nor did we obviously intend that. However, it’s a subjective point of view,” said Barnett. “There seems to be an important perception out there that they may be, and we would never want to perpetuate that.” At least she’s no longer throwing the “in-house multicultural experts” under the bus. But given the large number of folks who do think the videos are stereotypical, maybe the agency and client should peek at the mirror and examine their potential insensitivity and cultural cluelessness. Before wiping their “wunder down unders” with Summer’s Eve Cleansing Wash, of course.

Barnett insisted the agency and client steadfastly stand behind the “Hail to the V” campaign. Then the PR wonk went on the defensive, distinguishing cleansers from douches (gee, what an insightful and informative interview it must have been for Adweek’s Tim Nudd). Yet Barnett seems to have missed a big problem with her douching discussion. Specifically, the advertising has drawn so much negative attention to the brand, consumers are not simply lashing out against the messages—they are attacking the very existence of the products. This is perhaps the worst harm an agency can inflict upon a client.

“We’ve got to rebound from this, and that’s what we’re committed to doing,” declared Barnett. OK, but in the future, please keep your vagina ventriloquism to yourself.

:::

Summer’s Eve Pulls Controversial Talking-Vagina Videos

The online clips had been accused of being racially stereotypical

By Tim Nudd

Summer’s Eve pulled three videos off its website and YouTube on Wednesday following claims that they were racially insensitive.

The videos, part of the feminine-care company’s new “Hail to the V” campaign by The Richards Group in Dallas, featured talking hand-puppets representing women’s vaginas. Two of the spots in particular, featuring black and Hispanic characters, were criticized by some viewers, who complained that the voice work was racially stereotypical.

The black woman is “Pam Grier and Lil’ Kim all wrapped in to one,” wrote one online critic, while the Latina woman opens with the cry, “Ay-yi-yi.”

Under pressure, agency and client stood by the videos last week, with agency founder Stan Richards saying they were meant to be “relatable,” not stereotypical. But on Wednesday, Richards PR executive Stacie Barnett told Adweek that the criticism had begun to overshadow the message and goal of the larger campaign—to educate women about their anatomy and break down taboos in talking about it—and that the online videos had to go.

“Stereotyping or being offensive was not our intention in any way, shape, or form,” said Barnett. “The decision to take the videos down is about acknowledging that there’s backlash here. We want to move beyond that and focus on the greater mission.”

Agency and client had expected the campaign to be provocative, Barnett said, but for its frank talk about female anatomy, not for any racial issues. (And indeed, it was parodied by Stephen Colbert on Monday night, in a segment Barnett said the agency found amusing.) “We do not think they are stereotypical, nor did we obviously intend that. However, it’s a subjective point of view,” said Barnett. “There seems to be an important perception out there that they may be, and we would never want to perpetuate that.”

Barnett said agency and client remain strongly committed to the rest of the campaign, which includes a 60-second anthem spot and an online quiz about female anatomy called ID the V, which Barnett said 16,000 women had completed in the past two weeks.

Much of the criticism of the hand-puppet videos online has been inseparable from criticism about Summer’s Eve products themselves. Some people are simply opposed to the products, which could make them pre-disposed to oppose any marketing of them.

Barnett acknowledged that is a barrier for the brand, but she made a distinction between douching products and the cleansers being advertised in this campaign.

“The product that women and the medical community have questioned whether it is necessary is douching,” she said. “This campaign is marketing the external cleanser, cloth and wash, which is no different than a special hand cream, eye cream, body wash, etc. Now, are these things necessary? No. But cosmetically, as women, we have those choices.”

She added: “The bigger issue is: Do I think the baggage that Summer’s Eve has had related to its heritage of douche is part of this [current criticism]? Absolutely. There are people who may always associate Summer’s Eve only with douche, and therefore look upon it either with mockery or a negative perception. And that’s fine. But there are a lot of women who want these products, right or wrong, necessary or not. And that’s who we want to educate.”

Despite this being its second PR crisis in two years, Barnett said the brand can and will bounce back. “We’ve got to rebound from this, and that’s what we’re committed to doing,” she said.

9076: Eulogies Brought To You By Madison Avenue.

What is it about death that makes Madison Avenue types so clumsy? Like the antics that transpired after Mrs. Blankenship croaked on AMC series Mad Men, it seems impossible for adpeople to address the deceased with any amount of courtesy and dignity.

For example, Adweek managed to show its ignorance by running a piece that pointed out the “bad timing” of Elizabeth Taylor’s death in March, saying media coverage of the event would be diminished because the Hollywood icon died too late in the week. (Note: the Adweek story originally generated a comments thread filled with complaints and criticism for the reporter and publication—but the thread has mysteriously vanished.)

The death of Amy Winehouse prompted AdFreak to post “The Most Uncool Ad Ever Made Featuring Amy Winehouse”—a decidedly uncool tribute. The Huffington Post, meanwhile, let Award Winning Entrepreneur and Marketer Tricia Fox launch a perspective titled, “Amy Winehouse’s Untimely Death Is a Wake-Up Call for Small Business Owners.” Wow. Just wow.

9061: The Richards Group Responds.

AdFreak reported The Richards Group insists their “Hail to the V” spots are not racist. Here’s the official agency perspective:

Agency founder Stan Richards offers this statement to Adweek: “We have a wonderful client that recognizes no matter what they do, marketing in the feminine hygiene category is going to provoke a reaction. After listening to thousands of women say they want straight-talk and lighthearted communication on a historically-uncomfortable topic, Summer’s Eve gave us license to be bold, irreverent and celebratory across a multitude of mediums and to different audiences. We are surprised that some have found the online videos racially stereotypical. We never intended anything other than to make the videos relatable, and our in-house multi-cultural experts confirmed the approach. The more important mission is to get women talking about taboo topics and we hope these negative sentiments don’t overshadow that effort.”

Wow. Where to begin?

When will the culturally clueless of the ad world realize that no one can decide for others whether or not something is racist? To declare that something is not racist demonstrates arrogance of the highest order. In fact, it often makes the person declaring something is not racist actually look like a racist.

Richards joined Summer’s Eve Director of U.S. Marketing Angela Bryant in stating, “[T]housands of women say they want straight-talk and lighthearted communication on a historically-uncomfortable topic.” Um, has anyone shared the finished campaign with the thousands of women and asked, “Is this what you meant?”

Richards revealed “our in-house multi-cultural experts” approved the campaign. Are these the same bozos who green-lighted Chad and Ranjit for MetroPCS? Or did Richards mean he showed stuff to agency janitorial staffers? Sorry, but despite PR hype to the contrary, The Richards Group has not established expertise in the multicultural arena. So please don’t put the blame on someone other than yourself, Mr. Richards.

Finally, Richards proclaimed, “[T]he more important mission is to get women talking about taboo topics…” In the words of another prominent Texan, “Mission Accomplished.”

9051: Scam I Am—Kia Campaign Loses Lions.

AdFreak reported on a Kia Motors recall. No, it doesn’t involve any cars; rather, it’s about the Cannes Lions won for a Brazilian campaign that turned out to be bogus. As if our industry needed another example to demonstrate the irrelevance of awards. One of the cheaters—Rodolfo Sampaio—also turned out to be responsible for DDB Brazil’s scandalous ad featuring 9/11 imagery. If it’s any consolation, Sampaio’s work helped create a tie between Omnicom and Draftfcb for the greatest number of culturally clueless offenses in 2009—an honor that MultiCultClassics will not be rescinding. Congratulations, asshole.

Brazilian Shop Loses Cannes Lion Won for Bogus Kia Pedophilia Ad

By Tim Nudd

It took long enough, but Cannes organizers are finally rescinding the Silver Lion in Press awarded to a notorious pedophilia-themed Kia ad, created by Brazilian agency Moma Propaganda, that the automaker has been insisting never ran and was never approved.

The ad in question promoted Kia’s dual-zone air conditioning by featuring cartoon panels of a classroom scene—the left side innocent, the right side raunchy. “A different temperature on each side,” reads the headline. The narrative, though, seems to imply that the teacher is lusting after the young girl. Within days of the award, Kia strongly condemned the ad and said it never ran anywhere.

Cannes organizers also withdrew a Bronze Lion in Outdoor from Moma Propaganda for a different execution in the same campaign.

As Adland previously noted, the Moma Propaganda chief creative officer credited for these Kia ads, Rodolfo Sampaio, was also involved in DDB Brazil’s scandalous 9/11-themed ad for the WWF showing hundreds of planes heading for lower Manhattan.

UPDATE: Organizers have announced that any and all work made by the creatives credited for the Kia ads will be banned from the festival—though only for 2012, not beyond. The lesson being—this whole scam business is probably worth a try.