Advertising and the Evils of Swiffer
Feb. 8th, 2008 05:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theatokosI sat down to watch some Keith Olbermann. There happened to be a Swiffer ad on the tv. Generally, house cleaning products depict women cleaning. Always. Cleaning ads remain as gendered as an arctic winter is long. This is not news.
But this Swiffer ad went way, way, way too far. It basically compared domestic violence to a dingy bathroom. The ad shows a mother, her daughter and grandchild sitting on a couch. The mother says, worried, "It's not a healthy relationship. I just want what's best for you." The daughter looks worried, they both look to the side, as if the husband might come home at any minute, the baby begins to cry. I honestly thought I was watching a domestic violence public service announcement. But no, they go together and tackle the (barely) dirty bathroom.
It has been awhile since an ad on tv offended me like this. Swiffer diminishes and trivializes the fear and damage caused to families and women by domestic violence.
I looked all over Swiffer and Procter & Gamble's websites looking for a contact to complain to. They are tricky and clearly don't want to hear from their customers. So I just filled out the basic "contact us with questions" box, complaining and demanding that they pull this ad. I aslo mentioned that I will never buy another Swiffer product as long as they demean women. (I've never purchased anything by Swiffer and never intended to, but don't tell them that!)
I can't find the ad on the internet, but if you catch it, please write them and tell them that comparing cleanliness with domestic violence is NOT OKAY.
But this Swiffer ad went way, way, way too far. It basically compared domestic violence to a dingy bathroom. The ad shows a mother, her daughter and grandchild sitting on a couch. The mother says, worried, "It's not a healthy relationship. I just want what's best for you." The daughter looks worried, they both look to the side, as if the husband might come home at any minute, the baby begins to cry. I honestly thought I was watching a domestic violence public service announcement. But no, they go together and tackle the (barely) dirty bathroom.
It has been awhile since an ad on tv offended me like this. Swiffer diminishes and trivializes the fear and damage caused to families and women by domestic violence.
I looked all over Swiffer and Procter & Gamble's websites looking for a contact to complain to. They are tricky and clearly don't want to hear from their customers. So I just filled out the basic "contact us with questions" box, complaining and demanding that they pull this ad. I aslo mentioned that I will never buy another Swiffer product as long as they demean women. (I've never purchased anything by Swiffer and never intended to, but don't tell them that!)
I can't find the ad on the internet, but if you catch it, please write them and tell them that comparing cleanliness with domestic violence is NOT OKAY.
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-09 02:50 am (UTC)Argh.
On happier topics, how is the Pea?
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Date: 2008-02-09 07:35 am (UTC)But on Tues we have an ultrasound and -cross your fingers that the baby cooperates - we'll get to find out if the Pea is a boy or a girl!!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-09 02:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-09 01:56 pm (UTC)