Friday, March 7, 2014

Marketing 101

I received this catalog in the mail the other day. Normally, I just toss all of the catalogs into the recycle bin with nary a glance. This one, however, made me pause. 

What the hell were they thinking?
This company sent this catalog. To my house. Targeting me as a potential customer.

They sent this catalog featuring a pale, scrawny blonde wearing white clothing(before Easter, mind you!) to a pasty, rotund brunette who owns not a single item of clothing that is white. 

My first thought when I saw this picture was that this woman really needed a sandwich or two. Also, that she looks too good to be a mom. Real moms don't wear white! She should have at least a grass stain on the knee of those pants.

What is the message here?  Am I supposed to identify with this woman? Is the sight of this woman supposed to make me immediately run out and get a makeover? I already have a poor body image, thank you very much!  Am I supposed to drop everything and buy something white?  Because if that's the case, I'm going to need to invest in a good stain remover.

Besides the implied message that I am not worthy, this was a mass mailing to my area.  I cannot imagine what the other women in this zip code must think. There is a distinct shortage of pale, scrawny blonde women.  Are we all supposed to feel bad that we are not blonde and cannot safely wear white? 

Listen up, Marketing people!  I don't understand why I have to explain this to you, but it's very important that you pay attention now.

This is a town full of beautiful, voluptuous women. Women who are every color under the sun. Women who are not even close to scrawny. Women who won't wear white because food keeps landing on their chests.  Mothers who actually play with their children and get dirty. Women who deserve respect. 

I do not subscribe to this idea that a skinny blonde represents the only ideal beauty in this town, or anywhere else.  I will not support any business that does not respect the individual differences in the real women who live here.

True beautiful is one size fits all.

4 comments:

  1. I would like to invite that woman into my house for a cheeseburger and a milkshake, then turn her loose with my boys, who would have her covered in... boy in two seconds flat. Then maybe she and I could be friends, you know?

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  2. And is she on stilts? I know this is a minor issue, but it is distracting me from any grander problem!

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    Replies
    1. Lol! She does seem a bit elevated. Makes me wonder if the photographer was trying to be fancy!

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