Gendered Marketing

[betenoire]

Oh, and I forgot to mention the (discontinued) Camel Exotic Blends. Not necessarily marketed specifically to Women, but it FELT like that's what they were driving at.

They came in flavours like "champaign" "mint chocolate" "citrus" and were in collectible tins. I liked the tins so I used to buy a pack or two every time I was in the US.

I actually think that Camel is part of the axis of evil because of their habit of such obvious marketing to young people and females.

http://users.ap.net/~burntofferings/...melexotic.html

[WheelieStrong]

i was suprised to be told a few years ago that most erotica aimed at gay/bi males is written by women lol

i wonder if sales figures would change significantly if more of the men reading the books knew this

[Cyclopea]

Originally Posted by WheelieStrong

i was suprised to be told a few years ago that most erotica aimed at gay/bi males is written by women lol

i wonder if sales figures would change significantly if more of the men reading the books knew this

I met a woman who used to do that! She was paid by the word to churn them out. She was a conservative middle aged dyke. They were like erotic romance novels for gay men.

[I'mOneToo]

This thread is intriguing to me because I've got a little background in advertising. No, I wasn't one of those "Mad Men" types, but worked in advertising graphics production. When I discovered how ads were built, I became immune to the lure of advertising.

One of the more glaring examples of blatant gender-biased advertising is Virginia Slims Cigarettes. The ads for it, and the packaging designed by Walter Landor, were aimed directly toward female smokers. It was ironic that something as deadly as cigarettes became synonymous with women's tennis during the 70's and 80's. Yet, if Slims had not sponsored the Women's Tennis Association, it may have taken much longer to level the playing field (i.e. pay) between women's and men's tennis.

Their print and TV ads (when tv ads for smoking were still legal) said, "You've Come A Long Way, Baby" and showed a woman of the 1920's as if to equate emancipation of women with the desire for smoking, and to have "their own cigarette". They were the cigarette of the "women's liberation movement", or maybe I'd call it the Betty Friedan (NOW, ERA) cigarette. Their first competitor was the Eve cigarette, which I might call the "barefoot and pregnant" cigarette, or the Phyllis Schlafly (STOP THE ERA) cigarette.


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4k...-cigarette_ads - circa 1967


you've got your own cigarette now, baby
you've come a long, long way

Statistically, since the 1960's, women have also caught up with men in the incidence of diseases caused by smoking. Like the disparities in salaries women have not achieved equality but are gaining ground, if you can call it that.

A more recent experience of gender bias in marketing was while buying a happy meal for a kid, at the drive-through. The voice on the speaker asked if the meal was for a boy or a girl. She said, "we have toys for girls and toys for boys." I asked the child which they would prefer. The response was "A girl toy!" Inside the happy meal was a Hello Kitty watch, with a pink band. I'll leave it up to your imagination as to whether the recipient was a boy or a girl, and whether the toy made them happy or not.

[dixie]

Originally Posted by I'mOneToo

A more recent experience of gender bias in marketing was while buying a happy meal for a kid, at the drive-through. The voice on the speaker asked if the meal was for a boy or a girl. She said, "we have toys for girls and toys for boys." I asked the child which they would prefer. The response was "A girl toy!" Inside the happy meal was a Hello Kitty watch, with a pink band. I'll leave it up to your imagination as to whether the recipient was a boy or a girl, and whether the toy made them happy or not.

I'm not a big fan of the girl toys vs boy toys advertising either. My son always checked out the toy in the Happy Meal before ordering. He's never believed he had to have just "boy" toys. He's always been given the choice of playing with whatever he wants.

He also sometimes orders the girl toy Happy Meal just cause he thinks I'll like the toy. I now have 3 of the Hello Kitty watches...LOL (I have a great kid. )

[Cyclopea]

Originally Posted by betenoire

Oh, and I forgot to mention the (discontinued) Camel Exotic Blends. Not necessarily marketed specifically to Women, but it FELT like that's what they were driving at.

They came in flavours like "champaign" "mint chocolate" "citrus" and were in collectible tins. I liked the tins so I used to buy a pack or two every time I was in the US.

I actually think that Camel is part of the axis of evil because of their habit of such obvious marketing to young people and females.

Camel (Phillip Morris I think?) is EVIL!
Wasn't Joe Camel banned along with all cartoon character cigarette ads?
I know those flavored cigarettes were banned by the FDA.
What will they think of next? Free Justin Beiber downloads in every pack? Disney tie-ins???

[dixie]

Originally Posted by betenoire

Oh, and I forgot to mention the (discontinued) Camel Exotic Blends. Not necessarily marketed specifically to Women, but it FELT like that's what they were driving at.

They came in flavours like "champaign" "mint chocolate" "citrus" and were in collectible tins. I liked the tins so I used to buy a pack or two every time I was in the US.

I actually think that Camel is part of the axis of evil because of their habit of such obvious marketing to young people and females.

http://users.ap.net/~burntofferings/...melexotic.html

I loved the mint chocolate and the vanilla... I just wasn't a fan of their shady advertising tricks.