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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media

Sex sells — we're just not sure what

Pop quiz: Take a look at this ad. Examine it closely. Study it intently. Consider it, um, fully. Now what exactly is it selling?

Uhhh, push-up bras? Umm, skin care products? Errr, flotation devices? No. No. And, seriously, no. This ad is selling — drumroll, please — shampoo. Yes, shampoo. The stuff you wash your hair with every day. I am in no way joking.

More specifically, this is an ad from Brazil for Pantene Pro-V. And, oh, it gets better. Just wait until you read the tag line, which translates roughly to: “Ensure that your hair will be the second thing he looks at.”

Get it? The second thing! Or, if you're being a stickler about the numbers, the third thing. Groan. And just in case you're not into brunettes, there is a blonde version. Wow, you've got to hand it to Pantene and its parent company, Procter & Gamble. They certainly are equal-opportunity employers when it comes to sleazy objectification.

Gosh, where to start? We could spend hours dissecting the blatant, unapologetic sexism inherent in this campaign. But even from a simple “buy my product” standpoint, this ad seems to be an epic failure. I mean, I can't be the only one perplexed by how bad the model's hair actually looks? Unless, of course, this is a new styling line called “Stringy & Unkempt,” in which case — wow, talk about your truth in advertising.

Now I realize that some cross-cultural differences are at work here — Pantene ads in some regions may be more conservative than others — but no matter the cultural climate, I think we can agree that using sex to sell in such a sexist way is not acceptable. And, more infuriatingly, the company is perfectly capable of making clever, funny advertisements touting its hair-care products in ways that don't demean. Take this spot used in New Zealand and Australia last year that touts its ability to restore “age-damaged hair.”

See, that's how it should be done. But these new ads... just ick. Darn it, Pantene. Now this means I have to go find a new shampoo.

eve_jig_it's picture

My oh my.

My oh my. Still using babylons to sell a product. I thought marketing was becoming more creative and even intellectual than this but obviously not. And there don’t look to be any bras holding those ladies hefty loads up either other than gravity, or maybe something else.
Nicci's picture

Ew

Her hair looks like it hasn't been washed in days.  If the ad only showed her neck and up, I would not be convinced that the shampoo would make my hair look good at all.  This is just sickening! ><
Emuhlee's picture

i remember a tv add for car

i remember a tv add for car or home insurance that was on a while back were the whole add was this woman walking onto the beach, taking off her bikini top and walking towards the sea with a cheeky smile back over her sholder to the camera. what that has to do with insurance i have NO idea. this kinda reminded me of that but it is a stupid way to sell shampoo
RWL's picture

 The only way this could be

 The only way this could be MORE offensive is if the models just had the damn shampoo bottles wedged into their cleavages. Or if the taglines read "Look at my boobs! Now buy Pantene!"

 ~Can't everything be like before when it overcomes me?~

A Muse's picture

LOL

I thought it was an add for breast-implants and/or photoshopping skills :P

------------------------------------------------------
THE UNOFFICIAL JILL BENNETT FANCLUB WEBPAGE
http://www.freewebs.com/ujbfc

rubber ducky 's picture

haha

sooo true
pernoctator's picture

My initial thought was

SPANDEX!

 

Then I remembered what decade it is...

Viva's picture

Restoring age-damaged hair

Lol sexist or not that was clever.

 

 -<_>_<_>_<_>_<_>_<_>

"The first duty of a man is to think for himself"

Jose Marti

cosmiccowgirl's picture

I think the Mona Lisa one

I think the Mona Lisa one was meant to be an example of clever, not sexist.

I agree with the poster above about these being good ads for photoshopping skills, but they should have also photoshopped in some pretty hair while they were at it.

scorpio54's picture

Clever ads

My favourite amusing example of misdirection was an ad that showed an unhappy looking woman with two black eyes. My first thought: a public service ad about domestic violence. Then I saw the text: "Do you need a sports bra?"
trihardist's picture

On First Glance

I thought it was an ad for Second Life for some similar virtual world. Then I looked more closely and realized that that picture is (purportedly) of an actual person. That's terrifying.

---------------------

"From error to error, one discovers the entire truth."

- Sigmund Freud 

Trihardist's Blog
Pri_Rage's picture

Are U sure this is from Brazil?

Because the things in the add are written in spanish.

But this is ridiculous. If this is really from Brazil, than I feel we're more oldfashioned than I thought. 

Anonymous's picture

Straight Women

Don't they know straight women do most of the household shopping?
Ellie's picture

omg

lol thats funny but now that you say that .... ha ha ha
Ellie's picture

but that is kind of a

but that is kind of a stupid way to get ppl to buy shampoo.... its more like pointless.

jackedup77's picture

What??

I used Pantene and grew a cup size...

that's just honest advertising

Erestitole's picture

Still dying of laughter

Your hilarity amuses me!

~I WITNESSED the death of THE COOL~

Ponyboy's picture

maybe its a culture thing

I am from the US, and my thoughts were pushup bra or breast implants or skin care products. But I had this conversation with my gf (who is Colombian)

Me: Look at this add and tell me what you think they are trying to sell.

Her: Shampoo.

Me: What??

Her: Am I right?

Me: Wow.

Lara Palliard's picture

yes, it is

You're absolutely right, it's probably a culture thing.

Of course I don't think it makes the ad better, but I'll tell you I'm from Brazil and when I looked at the ad I really thought they were selling shampoo.

And I never thought of the pushup bra possibility. Only when you folks mentioned it here.

karina's picture

I agree

Same here. I'm from Brazil, had never seen this ad before, but I must say that shampoo was the first thing that came to my mind :\
Pugs's picture

Fructis by Garnier

Forget Pantene and try Fructis.  I love the way it smells and makes my hair feel soft.  And so far, they haven't managed to offend me with big-boobed women in their advertising.

 

Don't send flowers!  Send your girl a sexy gift basket! 

http://www.ComeTogetherGiftBaskets.com
Anonymous's picture

Scrolling down the page, i

Scrolling down the page, i initially thought selling shampoo. but when i scrolled more to reveal the rest of the picture, i thought selling breast implants. So maybe it's a promotional thing. Free implants with every purchase or free shampoo and conditioner with every implant procedure.

Bottom line....If you put your breast out there for all to see, they're gonna be seen. Why else where a push up bra and a low cut v-neck? Because it's hot outside and the only way to stay cool is to let your boobs breathe?

Not much thought put into advertising anymore.

Zoetrope's picture

Pantene

Pantene also sponsors the "Miss Egypt Pageant" :/
Chantal's picture

holy mother of...

Jeez the first thing that came to my mind was oh, that's cute, when i saw the top half.... then i scrolled down and was like HOLY F*CK are those real?

If they're not, those are some mad Photoshop Skills. Someone must have loved doing that.  

 

The Way The Cookie Crumbles

No Borders Allowed
Klara's picture

i was spontaneously

assocciating a volume shampoo.. dunno why..
SubtextRules's picture

Ha

Klara, funny how that works LOL!
Kayyo's picture

Gosh... That boobie ad

Gosh...

That boobie ad would never be allowed in a million years in my country...

Maybe it's a cultural thing, but I, along with many other women of my country, straight or otherwise, would find that rather offensive...The ad just would not make sense at all.

Jess's picture

along the same line....

Burton Snow Boards has a line of boards called "Love" that feature playboy bunny photos from the seventies. Here's the marketing language that goes with the product (from the Burton website): "Hi. My name is Love™ and I’m on the market for someone who’s looking to score serious action, no matter where they like to stick it. I enjoy laps through the park; long, hard grinds on my meaty Park Edges followed by a good, hot waxing. Whether you’re hitting it from the front or the back, my mid wide shape, supple flex, and twin tips like it kinky. Keegan and Mikkel love riding me, I hope you will too."

This has caused quite an uproar here in Vermont (home of Burton):

http://7d.blogs.com/blurt/2008/09/new-burton-boar.html

http://tinyurl.com/3ws2aq

IMO Burton has jumped the shark with this campaign in a desperate attempt to appeal the the 14-21 year old male market.

Tofu Delight's picture

The Magical Shampoo

Cheesy Ad voice: "This new Pantene Pro V will make your boobs bigger, fuller, rounder with the extra medical costs and only for $7.99 -hair swooshes right, hair swooshes left-"
Popss's picture

No Hair in Shampoo Ad

Where I come from (conservative Islamic country), we had an ad showin on local tv a few years back where the girl was wearing an Islamic headdress.  She was a popular local actress, was recently married and had sported the headdress post-nuptials.  Throughout the ad, she was seen in the shower shampoo-ing(so typical), but we only see foam on her head, nary a hair to be seen..it turned out to be one of the most popular shampoo ads ever..

 Go figure...

 

Anonymous's picture

Volume.... in MORE PLACES than one....

well.... i'll admit that i thought the ad was okay.... then i scrolled down and, "OHMYG-D THEY'RE HUGE!!".... out loud too.... at least no one heard me :D. suffice to say.... i didn't really get "shampoo" from that advertisement.... until i read further :).

purrito >' '<

Keeva99's picture

Boobs

Does anybody else think that their boobs look weird? Hmmmm...maybe it's just me.

My sister's a hairdresser, and she said Pantene is bad for your hair. Something about it coating the hair in protein (or something), and making it look crap if you use it for too long (or something)...i'm sure it's very technical...anyway, I'm not allowed to use it :/

Shit ads, shit product...

dame_elphaba's picture

One of my friends told me

One of my friends told me the same thing about Pantene. She said your hair can't breathe or something like that.

 

I also thought that the model's hair looked stringy and unkempt. And greasy.

 

This ad is so disgusting. So fucking disgusting.  

anytime_now's picture

ugh

No, I totally agree. They were weird, fake, and... exposed. How demeaning. That ad was a complete boo-crap. 10 bucks says someone of the opposite sex came up with it. (If I had more than $10, that money would be on this statement as well)